For the most part, everything you own and use for personal purposes or investment is a capital asset. For exceptions, see Noncapital Assets, later.

The following items are examples of capital assets.

• Stocks and bonds.
• A home owned and occupied by you and your family.
• Timber grown on your home property or investment property, even if you make casual sales of the timber.
• Household furnishings.
• A car used for pleasure or commuting.
• Coin or stamp collections.
• Gems and jewelry.
• Gold, silver, and other metals.

Personal-use property. Property held for personal use is a capital asset. Gain from a sale or exchange of that property is a capital gain. Loss from the sale or exchange of that property is not deductible. You can deduct a loss relating to personal-use property only if it results from a casualty or theft.

Investment property. Investment property (such as stocks and bonds) is a capital asset, and a gain or loss from its sale or exchange is a capital gain or loss. This treatment does not apply to property used to produce rental income. See Business assets, later, under Noncapital Assets.

Release of restriction on land. Amounts you get for the release of a restrictive covenant in a deed to land are treated as proceeds from the sale of a capital asset.

Previous | First | Next

Publication Index | 2000 Tax Help Archives | Tax Help Archives | Home