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Is there a Gift?

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    Is there a Gift?

    I think so, but no idea how much. Father is selling a commercial warehouse to his son and financing it. No one has a good idea what the warehouse would bring on the open market. Since no one went to the bank to borrow money, the property hasn't been appraised.

    Facts are as follows:
    Original Value $1,125,324
    Accumulated Depreciation $488,705
    "Book" Value on books of father $637,619
    and this in no way is any indication of the worth of the warehouse.

    More facts:
    Father is financing the sale, and asking $50,000 per year for 10 years.
    The $500,000 maturity value has a present value of $392,839 if discounted
    at 5% (probably the minimum imputed interest rate they can get away with).
    Additionally, son will assume father's existing mortgage of $375,000.
    This makes the purchase price for the warehouse $767,839. Father reports
    a capital gain of $130,000 on the installment basis, but the agreed-upon
    amount of $767,839 is also no fair indication of the worth.

    In absence of an appraisal, this customer is looking to me to just simply
    book the sale at $767,839 with no further repercussions.

    The original value of $1,125,324 is for three sections of this warehouse, the
    oldest of which is 14 years old, and the latest section built 6 years ago.
    The warehouse was built primarily in a small town of 10,000 to store steel,
    and the two largest steel consuming plants in town have recently shut down
    and moved to Mexico. As a result, capacity usage has dwindled from 90%
    to barely 50%, as a few smaller new customers have been engaged.

    For those of you who are still awake during this long and boring post, are there
    any audit guides used by the IRS to assess FMV in a situation like this?

    If we do our job as tax preparers and have the trust of our clientele, we will
    often be confronted by situations where we are called upon to be judge and
    jury. I am not a skilled appraiser, and I believe there is a potential liability
    if I don't explore the possibility that a gift has been made here. But before I
    can place a value on a gift, again I have to know what the property is worth.

    What if we added $240,000 to the selling price of the property, and over the
    course of the next 10 years, Dad makes a cash gift of $24,000 annually to son
    and spouse? Yes, it is a contrivance, but I think it would fly.

    #2
    Duh!

    To me there is no issue here. The client has to get an appraisal. Once done, you seem to know what to do, so you are all set.

    Comment


      #3
      Yep!

      Get an at least 2 appraisals. Can't be done any other way. Your client will look to you if something goes wrong with IRS.

      One appraisal may be fine for an unrelated party but for related party you should have 2.
      Last edited by BOB W; 11-02-2006, 08:23 AM.
      This post is for discussion purposes only and should be verified with other sources before actual use.

      Many times I post additional info on the post, Click on "message board" for updated content.

      Comment


        #4
        Yessiree

        Go forth, and get that appraisal. Seems like a no-brainer from the outside looking in. All parties are exposed without one.

        Comment


          #5
          Get sale right

          you can always gift part of the payments that are due. Use up more exclusion. May want the old FLP and be gifting over some years-while still getting some of the partnership flow. I am asuming the operation is profitable.

          Comment


            #6
            I agree with the others that you need an appraisal. Also look at the local tax assessor's appraisal.

            Comment


              #7
              declining market

              agreeing with other's suggestions of 2 appraisals. the point i saw was capacity usage from 90% to 50% ( on its way to 20% and bankrupcy? if selling price too high and not your concern of selling price too low ). appraisals will quantify this and establish a legal burden. you may be surprised to find the appraisals come in at the seat of the pants father/son amount or maybe less. you could even get into the "problem" of selling to a relative at a loss.

              Comment


                #8
                Thanks

                LTS - haven't heard from you, you must be new to the board. If so, let me extend our welcome and hope you will post often.

                Father cannot sell to son at a loss. The proceeds are already $130,000 higher than the father's book value. Even if he sold at a loss, he couldn't deduct the loss to a related party.

                Interesting twist that you bring up the possibility, though. Are there any implications if the appraised value turns out to be less than seller's book value??

                Thanks to all who have responded. It's like I knew what the answer should be, but wanted to drag it through the garden one more time...

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