Sunday, May 24, 2020

Sale of an Inherited Property: Necessary Documents, Taxation and Other Things to Know


Receiving a house by succession means getting hold of a precious estate. If the choice was for the sale of the inherited property, it is important to know all the aspects that this sale entails, in terms of necessary documents, taxation and bureaucratic requirements.

On the other hand, the buyer of an inherited home will have to pay attention to some aspects to avoid the risks associated with the transfer of ownership by inheritance.

Documents necessary for the sale of an inherited house


To guarantee a protected transfer of ownership, the purchase and sale of a property obtained by succession requires the presentation of two documents additional to those necessary for a normal real estate sale: the declaration of succession and the transcription of the acceptance of the inheritance.

Declaration of succession and transcription of the acceptance of the inheritance: when the heir becomes owner
Anyone who inherits a property does not automatically become its owner. In fact, the heir has the right to accept or reject the inheritance. A choice that, obviously, is fundamental for the effective disposition of the property right.

The inheritance can be accepted by signing two deeds:


·         succession declaration ;
·         Acceptance of the inheritance.

The first document must be submitted by the heir (or heirs) electronically to the Revenue Agency . It can be completed with the support of Caf or professionals in the sector (for example, the notary). It lists all the assets subject to the succession and their values.

Acceptance of the inheritance can be formalized with a written document, but it can also take place tacitly. The second case is the more frequent one, but it is also the one that requires an extra step when buying and selling an inherited property. At the same time as the deed, in fact, the notary must formalize the tacit acceptance (made manifest through the will to sell the asset) with the transcription of the acceptance of the inheritance by written deed.

The transcription of the acceptance of the inheritance is therefore one of the documents necessary for the sale of the inherited house.

Sale of a property received as an inheritance: taxation


The property whose property was inherited was subject to inheritance tax. It is liquidated by the Revenue Agency within the third year from the declaration of succession or within the fifth, in the absence of such declaration. It is due to the extent of 4% -8% depending on the degree of relationship that binds the new owner to the deceased. In some cases there is a fixed minimum amount (deductible) to be paid, beyond the value of the property.

In addition to this taxation, the other taxes due for the sale of the property are the classic ones related to this deed (cadastral tax, mortgage tax, stamp duties and secretarial rights), which form the costs of the sale and buying property in Curacao.

Sale of the house inherited before the age of 5: is the capital gain taxed?


In general, in the event that a property is sold whose property was acquired for consideration in the previous five years, the seller must also pay a capital gain tax. This is a withdrawal on the difference (capital gain) between the sale price and the value of the property at the time of acquisition of the real right. This is a necessary measure to prevent speculative activities on the real estate market. However, this does not apply to the sale of an inherited house.

" ... the capital gains realized through the sale for consideration of real estate purchased or built for no more than 5 five years, excluding those acquired by succession ... ".

The sum obtained from the sale of a property acquired by succession, even if it occurs before 5 years, does not determine a taxable capital gain .

Property in communion between multiple heirs


In the event that the property object of the succession due to death is jointly owned, the sale can only take place following the consent of all the heirs. Alternatively, it will be possible to proceed with the sale of only the portion of inheritance due, after having offered this share to the other heirs, who have the right of pre-emption.

Buying an inherited house: the risks for the buyer


As we have seen for the purchase of a property subject to donation , the purchase of an inherited property is also not without risks for the buyer. This is why it is always advisable to contact professionals in the sector, avoiding to run into problems that can invalidate the act of sale or, in any case, create uncertainty.