$8,000 TAX CREDIT FOR FIRST-TIME BUYERS
First-time homebuyers will get a tax credit windfall if they buy before December 2009. As part of the economic stimulus bill, first-time homebuyers can claim a credit worth $8,000 (or 10% of the home’s value, whichever is less) on their 2008 or 2009 taxes.
This credit is refundable, meaning that tax filers see a refund of the full $8,000 even if their total tax bill was less than that amount. Unlike the earlier version of the tax credit which really was a loan, this tax credit does not have to be paid back if the buyers live in the home for at least 3 years.
To qualify for the credit, the purchase must be made between Jan. 1, 2009 and Nov. 30, 2009. Buyers must be first-time homebuyers, meaning they cannot have owned a home in the past three years.
There also are income restrictions. To qualify, buyers must make less than $75,000 for singles or $150,000 for couples. Higher income buyers may receive a partial credit up to a certain amount of income. Taxpayers who already have completed their 2008 returns can file amended returns for 2008 in order to claim the credit.
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