$8,000 Tax Credit
Homebuyer Tax Credit
We Have News To Tell...
First-time home buyers and move-up buyers have another great reason to get on the path to purchasing a new home! The benefit to first-time homebuyers is a tax credit up to $8,000 and for move-up buyers a tax credit up to $6,500. But this opportunity ends in April.
Between November 7, 2009 and April 30, 2010, homebuyers that have a signed binding contract to purchase a home may be eligible for the tax credit. The transaction must close no more than 60 days after April 30, 2010.
- For first-time homebuyers may receive a credit of 10 percent of the purchase price up to the $8,000 tax credit amount. If you have never owned a home before or have not owned a principal residence in the last three years, you are considered a first-time homebuyer.
- For the "Move Up" consumer, a tax credit of $6,500 is available for homeowners who have lived in their current residence for at least five of the past eight years. The homebuyers can receive a 10 percent credit up to $6,500 when they contract to purchase a home between now and April 30, 2010, and close no more than 60 days after April 30, 2010.
The tax credit does not have to be repaid provided you live in the new home for a minimum of three years. Military families are exempt from this stipulation.
For additional details, click on the National Association of Realtors and IRS links below:
- Homebuyer Tax Credit FAQ from National Associations of Realtors
- Tax Credit Comparison Chart from National Association of Realtors
- Tax Credit as a Down Payment FHA Mortgage Flyer
- First-Time Homebuyer Credit (IRS Explanation)
- 2008 Form 5405 (Revising 2008 Taxes)
Before you decide to use the Extended Homebuyer Tax Credit, please remember to consult with a tax professional.
$8,000 First-time Home Buyer Tax Credit at a Glance
- The $8,000 tax credit is for first-time home buyers only. For the tax credit program, the IRS defines a first-time home buyer as someone who has not owned a principal residence during the three-year period prior to the purchase.
- The tax credit does not have to be repaid unless the home is sold or ceases to be used as the buyer’s principal residence within three years after the initial purchase.
- The tax credit is equal to 10 percent of the home’s purchase price up to a maximum of $8,000.
- The tax credit applies only to homes priced at $800,000 or less.
- The tax credit now applies to sales occurring on or after January 1, 2009 and on or before April 30, 2010. However, in cases where a binding sales contract is signed by April 30, 2010, a home purchase completed by June 30, 2010 will qualify.
- For homes purchased on or after January 1, 2009 and on or before November 6, 2009, the income limits are $75,000 for single taxpayers and $150,000 for married couples filing jointly.
- For homes purchased after November 6, 2009 and on or before April 30, 2010, single taxpayers with incomes up to $125,000 and married couples with incomes up to $225,000 qualify for the full tax credit.
The $6,500 Move-Up / Repeat Home Buyer Tax Credit at a Glance
- To be eligible to claim the tax credit, buyers must have owned and lived in their previous home for five consecutive years out of the last eight years.
- The tax credit does not have to be repaid unless the home is sold or ceases to be used as the buyer’s principal residence within three years after the initial purchase.
- The tax credit is equal to 10 percent of the home’s purchase price up to a maximum of $6,500.
- The tax credit applies only to homes priced at $800,000 or less.
- The credit is available for homes purchased after November 6, 2009 and on or before April 30, 2010. However, in cases where a binding sales contract is signed by April 30, 2010, the home purchase qualifies provided it is completed by June 30, 2010.
- Single taxpayers with incomes up to $125,000 and married couples with incomes up to $225,000 qualify for the full tax credit.
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