Ian Bryzek, CPA
Basis after a spouse dies
The old purchase price may not be the number a later sale requires. A calm guide to the papers, dates, and questions to line up before the next decision.
At a Bay Area kitchen table, the house file is often the last thing anyone wants to open. The old purchase price may not be the number a later sale requires.
The old purchase price may not be the number a later sale requires.
Start with the paper trail
The old purchase price may not be the number a later sale requires.
What to do next
Preserve ownership and date-specific value support before a transaction.
What to gather
- Documents created closest to the event
- Statements or records showing dates and ownership
- Preserve ownership and date-specific value support before a transaction.
Who usually handles what
- Ian can organize the tax records and reporting question.
- An estate attorney handles legal ownership, title, authority, trust meaning, and beneficiary rights.
A practical next step
Preserve ownership and date-specific value support before a transaction.
Questions about title, probate authority, trust meaning, or a beneficiary's legal rights belong with an estate attorney. Start with the Professionals directory: /professionals/
Related guides
This is general tax information, not tax or legal advice. Tax treatment depends on the documents, timing, ownership, and facts involved.