Now that the traditional fire season is coming to an end, it is never too late to think about what to do. before Wildfires can affect your home and your forest. According to Cal Fire Events Overview Website, The 2021 fire destroyed 3,629 buildings and burned nearly 2.5 million hectares. For private forest owners affected by these fires, federal and state tax returns will help reduce financial losses.
Larry Camp, California Forest Owner, California Registered Professional Forest, California Forest Land Owner and Retired Iris Forest, gives us a brief overview of what a disaster is and what steps an owner can take to determine a loss. .
What is an accident loss? Generally speaking, damage to forest owners is defined as loss. Fire, hurricane Or Theft. This can directly affect your forest business, trade or other lucrative activities.
Forest ownership type issues. Compensation for damages varies depending on the property, such as personal property, investment purposes, or business assets. Generally, forested areas, or small acres, such as 5 acres or less, are considered private property due to the seasonal economic harvest. Beginning in 2017, damage to all types of forest property for federal tax purposes will not be reduced, except in the area designated as a federally declared disaster area. However, property owned and operated as a business may be eligible for business loss as a result of a fire or other disaster. Since mid-October 2021, California has not amended its laws to comply with federal law.
The extent to which the landlord may claim damages depends on whether the “before” and “after” risk occurs on the basis of adjustment or a fair market price change.
What is the basis? It is used when the value of an item is purchased or received as a gift or inheritance and is used to distinguish taxable income, capital gains and risk losses from other purposes. Because tax management varies by type of property, the general basis for timber assets should be assigned to different sub-categories such as land, wood, and roads and constructions. It is always best to set aside these bills when purchasing. However, it can be calculated after the fact with the help of a registered professional forest, evaluator and tax consultant.
What St.EPDo you have to come forward to claim the damages?
- Decide what your foundation is.
- Reduce any income from estimated damages from insurance, litigation and / or wood and mortgage recovery.
- For private property, determine whether the property is in the federal danger zone declared by the president and within the time limit specified in the declaration of danger.
- Check and collect available documents to show that the damage is sudden and unpredictable, such as photo shoots, management plans, harvest records. This usually happens when you buy the property and regularly every 3 to 5 years.
- Review the “before” and “after” values of the property. Note that acceptable assessments are often required by a government-licensed reviewer or forestry professional with regular assessment training and must meet the required standards.
Other estimates and resources…
- There are other factors to consider when considering forest land investment and business ownership. Talk to your tax professional to determine the appropriate course of action.
- Additional estimates for taxpayers who list deductions will not result in any deductible during the risk year. Special provisions for taxpayers who do not specify deductions should also be considered. Consult your tax advisor.
- For more in-depth information on wood damage, please visit California Forest Landlords.org.
The purpose of this document is educational and general in nature. It is not intended to provide legal or financial advice as to the individual circumstances and circumstances of each taxpayer regarding the preparation or presentation of a completed tax return, which must be taken into account in order to properly implement the tax law and related regulations. Questions should be discussed with your accounting, legal and other appropriate professional advisors.
