Tax law

» Tax law
Will I pay a tax on real estate profit when I sale my home that I have owned for 30 years?
 
Will what I give to my legitimate daughter be taxed similarly as what I give to my stepdaughter (i.e.my second husband’s daughter)?
 
Can the real estate profit tax be cancelled if I acquire a house within 6 months of the sale of my previous apartment?
     
The real estate profit tax applies to the profit obtained when there is a sale. It is usually the difference between the purchase price and the sale price minus the expenses (improvement works, acquisition costs, …). Taxes differ from one canton to another but are often degressive depending on the number of years of ownership. Under estate tax law, acquisitions through inheritance by husband and wife and descendants are tax free (except in the canton of Vaud, where the descendants must pay a tax). Acquisitions by other heirs can be heavily taxed, depending on the proximity of the relationship with the deceased (stepchildren, brothers and sisters, nephews and nieces, cousins, …). The tax aspect should be taken in consideration when drafting testamentary dispositions, as this can create major inequalities, unwanted by the settler.