When it comes to capital gains, there's a lot of confusion out there. Are they adjusted for inflation? Do they get taxed as regular income? As a real estate investor, it's important that you understand how capital gains work so that you can make the most informed decision possible when it comes time to sell.

What are Capital Gains?

First things first, let's define what we're talking about when we say "capital gains." Capital gains refer to the increase in value of a capital asset—such as real estate—that has been held for more than one year. When you sell your investment property, the capital gain is the difference between the sale price and your original purchase price.

Now that we've got that out of the way, let's move on to the question at hand: are capital gains adjusted for inflation? Unfortunately, the answer isn't as straightforward as we would like it to be.

The short answer is that, currently, capital gains are not adjusted for inflation. However, there have been various proposals over the years that would change this. For example, in 2013 then-President Barack Obama proposed adjusting capital gains for inflation as part of his budget proposal. But alas, nothing came of it and the proposal was ultimately rejected by Congress.

So what does this all mean for you as an investor? Well, if you're thinking of selling an investment property that you've held for several years, it's important to keep in mind that the actual profit you realize may be less than you expect after taking inflation into account.

Of course, there's no way to know exactly how much inflation will erode your profits until after you've sold the property and have your numbers in front of you. However, if you're concerned about this issue, there are a couple of strategies you can use to try to mitigate its effects.

Strategies for Dealing with Capital Gains and Inflation

If you're worried about how inflation will eat into your profits when you sell an investment property, there are a couple of options available to you. First, you could consider selling sooner rather than later. This way, you'll be able to capture a higher percentage of your gain before inflation has a chance to reduce its value.

Another strategy is to invest in assets that tend to go up in value along with inflation. This way, any reduction in your profits due to inflation will likely be offset by increases in the value of your other assets. Real estate is a good option here since it typically rises in value along with inflation.

Of course, these are just a couple of possible strategies, and there's no guarantee that either one will work perfectly in every situation. So ultimately, it's up to you to weigh the pros and cons and decide which approach makes the most sense for your individual circumstances.

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Leave a comment and let us know how the current market is impacting your investment strategy (if at all). We love to hear your stories from “in the trenches” of flipping, renting, and investing as we navigate shifting economic and market conditions.