UBIT Tax and Self-Directed IRAs: Three Key Tips Every Investor Should Know

by | Aug 4, 2016 | UBIT & UDFI Tax

Unrelated Business Income Tax (“UBIT”) is often misunderstood by self-directed IRA investors and their professional advisors. In essence, UBIT is a tax that is due to an IRA when it receives “business income” as opposed to “investment income”. When we think of IRAs and retirement accounts, we think of them as receiving income without having to pay tax when the income is made. For example, when your IRA sells stock for a profit and that profit goes back to your IRA you don’t pay any tax on the gain. Similarly, when you sell real estate owned by your IRA for a profit and that profit goes back to your IRA, you don’t pay any tax on the gain. The reason for this is because the gain from the sale of an investment asset is deemed investment income and as a result it is exempt for UBIT tax.

Tip 1: “When Does UBIT Apply?”

UBIT applies when your IRA receives “unrelated business income”. However, if your IRA receives investment income, then that income is exempt from UBIT tax. Investment income that is exempt from UBIT includes the following.

Investment Income Exempt from UBIT:

  • Real Estate Rental Income, IRC 512(b)(3) – The rent of real estate is investment income and is exempt from UBIT
  • Interest Income, IRC 512(b)(1) – Interest and points made from the lending of money is investment income and is exempt from UBIT.
  • Capital Gain Income, IRC 512(b)(5) – The sale, exchange, or disposition of assets is investment income and is exempt from UBIT.
  • Dividend Income, IRC 512(b)(1) – Dividend income from a c-corp where the company paid corporate tax is investment income and exempt from UBIT.
  • Royalty Income, IRC 512(b)(2) – Royalty income derived from intangible property rights such as intellectual property and from oil/gas and mineral leasing activities is investment income and is exempt from UBIT.

There are two common areas where self-directed IRA investors run into UBIT issues and are outside of the exemptions outlined above. The first occurs when an IRA invests and buys LLC ownership in an operating business (e.g. sells goods or services) that is structured as a pass-thru entity for taxes (e.g. partnership) and that that does not pay corporate taxes. The income from the LLC flows to its owners and would be ordinary income. If the company has net taxable income it will flow down to the IRA as ordinary income on the k-1 and this will cause tax to the IRA as this will be business income and it does not fit into one of the investment income exemptions.

The second problematic area is when IRAs engage in real estate investment that do not result in investment income. For example, real estate development or a number of significant short-term real estate flips by an IRA will cause the assets of the IRA to be considered as inventory as opposed to investment assets and this will cause UBIT tax to the IRA.

Tip 2: UBIT Applies When You Have Debt Leveraging an IRA Investment

UBIT also applies to an IRA when it leverages its purchasing power with debt. If an IRA uses debt to buy an investment, then the income attributable to the debt is subject to UBIT. This income is referred to as unrelated debt financed income (UDFI) and it causes UBIT. The most common situation occurs when an IRA buys real estate with a non-recourse loan. For example, lets say an IRA buys a rental property for $100,000 and that $40,000 came from the IRA and $60,000 came form a non-recourse loan. The property is thus 60% leveraged and as a result, 60% of the income is not a result of the IRAs investment but the result of the debt invested. Because of this debt, that is not retirement plan money, the IRS requires tax to be paid on 60% of the income. So, if there is $10K of rental income on the property then $6K would be UDFI and would be subject to UBIT taxes.

For a more detailed outline on UDFI, please refer to my free one-hour webinar here.

Tip 3: UBIT Tax is Reported and Paid by the IRA via a Form 990-T Tax Return

Unrelated business income tax (UBIT) for an IRA is reported and paid via IRS Form 990-T. IRS Form 990-T is due for IRAs on April 15th of each year. IRA owner’s can file and obtain an automatic 6-month extension with the IRS by filing an extension request before the regular deadline.

If UBTI Tax is due, it is paid from the IRA and the IRA owner would send the prepared Form 990-T to their IRA custodian for their signature and for direction of payment to the IRS for any tax due as part of the 990-T Return.

For a more detailed outline of UBIT, please refer to Chapter 15 of The Self Directed IRA Handbook.

Buying Real Estate With Your IRA and a Non-Recourse Loan

by | Feb 13, 2015 | Investing

Comprehensive Webinar: Buying Real Estate with Your IRA and a Non-Recourse Loan Mat Sorensen from Mathew Sorensen on Vimeo.

Your IRA can buy real estate using its own cash and a loan/mortgage to acquire the property. Whenever you leverage your IRA with debt, however, you must be aware of two things. First, the loan your IRA obtains must be a non-recourse loan. And second, your IRA may be subject to a tax known as unrelated debt-financed income tax (UDFI/UBIT). This comprehensive webinar explains the non-recourse loan requirements, as well as the non-recourse loan options, and goes into detail on how UDFI tax may be applied and how it is calculated. Below are the slides from the presentation as well as the recorded video presentation of the webinar. Note that page 27 in the pdf slides below was up-dated from the webinar as I made a calculation mistake on the debt owed. The final tax numbers were still correct though. Thanks to Roger St.Pierre, Sr. VP at First Western Federal Savings Bank for co-presenting the topic with me.

buying-real-estate-with-ira-and-non-recourse-loan

 

Contingency Clauses in Real Estate Purchase Contracts

by | Jan 21, 2014 | Investing, News

Contingency clauses are some of the most important components of a real estate purchase contract, and can provide significant protections to buyers of real estate. A contingency clause typically states that a buyer’s offer to buy property is contingent upon certain things. For example, the contingency clause may state, “The buyer’s obligation to purchase the real property is contingent upon the property appraising for a price at or above the contract purchase price.” Under this contingency, the buyer is relieved from the obligation to buy the property if the buyer obtains an appraisal that falls below the purchase price. Because contingency cPhoto of a signpost with different directions with the text "Contingency Clauses in Real Estate Purchase Contracts."lauses provide the buyer a way to back-out of a contract they can be excellent tools for real estate investors who make numerous offers on properties.

Contingency Clause Examples

Here are some contingency clauses to consider in your real estate purchase contract.

1. Financing Contingency. A financing contingency clause states something like, “Buyer’s obligation to purchase the property is contingent upon Buyer obtaining financing to purchase the property on terms acceptable to Buyer in Buyer’s sole opinion.” Some financing contingency clauses are not well drafted and will provide clauses that say simply, “Buyer’s obligation to purchase the property is contingent upon the Buyer obtaining financing.” A clause such as this can cause problems as the Buyer may obtain financing under a high rate and thus may decide not purchase the  property. However, because the contingency only specified whether financing is obtained or not (and not whether the terms are acceptable to buyer), the clause can be unhelpful to a buyer deciding not to purchase the property. Some financing clauses are more specific and, for example, will say that the financing to be obtained must be at a rate of at most 7% on a 30 year term and that if the buyer does not obtain financing at a rate of 7% or lower then the buyer may exercise the contingency and back out of the contract.

2. Inspection Contingency. An inspection contingency clause states something like, “Buyer’s obligation to purchase is contingent upon Buyer’s inspection and approval of the condition of the property.” Another variation states that the Buyer may hire a home inspector to inspect the property and that the Seller must fix any issues found by the inspector and if the Seller does not fix the items specified by the inspector then the Buyer may cancel the contract. Inspection clauses are very important as they ensure that the Buyer is obtaining a valuable asset and not a money pit full of defects and repair issues.

Other important contingency clauses are clear and marketable title clauses, approval of seller disclosure documents, and rental history due diligence information (e.g., rent rolls, lease copies, financials, etc.).

Contingency Clause Issues

When using contingency clauses buyers should pay attention to a few key terms. I’ve personally seen many disputes arise as a result of one of the following issues.

1. What Happens to the Earnest Money. One important consideration that is often vague in real estate purchase contracts is what happens to the buyer’s earnest money when the buyer exercises a contingency. Does the buyer receive a full return of the earnest money? Does the seller keep the earnest money? If the contract is silent and if you as the buyer exercise a contingency, don’t count on the seller agreeing to a release of the earnest money as they are often upset that you are not going to purchase the property. Make sure the contract clearly states something like the following, “If Buyer exercises any contingency, Buyer shall receive a full return of any earnest money deposit or payment to Seller.”

2. Contingency Deadlines. Another important contingency clause issue is the date of the contingency clause deadline.  Most contingency clauses have expiration dates that occur well before closing. Those dates should typically be somewhere from 2 weeks to 2 months from the date of the contract, depending on the purchase and seller disclosure items and the type of property being purchased. For example, single family homes will typically have a shorter window as financing and inspection can occur more quickly than would occur under a contract to purchase an apartment building. Whatever the deadline is, make sure that the deadline is set far enough out so that you can complete your contingency tasks. You need to make sure you have enough time to obtain adequate financing commitments, to properly inspect the property, and that you have enough time to review the seller’s disclosure documents. Setting a two week deadline is sometimes done but two weeks is usually not enough time to complete financing commitments, inspection, and due diligence activities that are necessary to determine whether you are going to commit to purchasing the property. If contingency deadlines are approaching and you need more time, then ask the seller for an extension before the deadline arrives. If the Seller refuses an extension, then exercise the contingency you need more time to satisfy.

3. Exercise You Contingency in Writing. If you do exercise a contingency and decide to back-out of the purchase of the property, make sure you do it in writing. Don’t rely on telephone calls or even e-mails (unless the contract permits e-mails as notice). Additionally, make sure that the reason for the contingency and that the date of the contingency are put in writing and are sent to the seller in a method where the date can be tracked in accordance to the notice provisions of the contract. For example, if the contract requires a contingency to be noticed by fax or hand delivery, don’t rely on an e-mail to the seller or the seller’s agent as such communication will not invoke the contingency.

Once the deadline to exercise a contingency has passed, the buyer is obligated to purchase the real property and may be sued for specific performance (meaning they can be forced to buy) or at the least the buyer will lose their entire earnest money deposit. Contingency clauses are the best defense mechanism to a bad deal and should always be used by real estate buyers. Keep in mind that until you close on the property, the only investment you have is a contract and if you have a bad contract, then you have a bad deal.

What to Use?: A Warranty, Grant or Quit Claim Deed

by | Sep 28, 2012 | News

When it comes to transferring property, such as our rental properties into LLCs and our personal residence into a Trust, it can be confusing understanding the differences between a Quit Claim Deed, Warranty Deed and other terms that may be thrown out.

Some states use the term “Grant Deed”, California being one of the most preeminent. The reality is that a Grant Deed can be used as a Quitclaim Deed OR a Warranty Deed. It essentially depends on the verbiage used inside the terms of the Deed itself. Bottom line- Make sure that you look at the language used in the deed itself. Don’t think that because you have a Grant Deed you have all of the benefits of a Warranty Deed. Here is a brief description of each type of Deed:

Quitclaim Deed

A quitclaim deed transfers whatever ownership interest a person has in a property. It makes no guarantees about the extent of the person’s interest. Quitclaim deeds are also frequently used when there is a “cloud” on title — that is, when a search reveals that a previous owner or some other individual, like the heir of a previous owner, may have some claim to the property. The transferor can sign a quitclaim deed to transfer any remaining interest.

Warranty Deed

A warranty deed transfers ownership and explicitly promises the buyer that the transferor has good title to the property, meaning it is free of liens or claims of ownership. Also, whatever the ‘title’ of the deed is you may use, check the verbiage in the deed itself to understand what warranties you may be making, if any. The transferor guarantees that he or she will compensate the buyer if that turns out to be wrong. The warranty deed may make other promises as well, to address particular problems with the transaction.

Our Recommendation

Always double check the ‘local’ state and county laws regarding the type of deed to use when transferring property and what the different types of deeds actually provide. HOWEVER, we generally recommend the Warranty Deed when transferring property to yourself, your trust, or your own company; because we want to make sure that the Title Policy and all of its benefits transfer to the Grantee of your deed.