I sold some land I inherited last year. I did not get the full amount of the sale because I had a bank lien on it for a loan. The majority of my share of the sale went directly to the bank. Do I have to pay capital gains on the entire amount? Additionally, the land was inherited and had been passed down through family for many, many years. There was no prior appraisal or tax records we could find on the land, so my sister and I have no idea what to put in as the prior value of the land. We inherited it in 1998, and we suspect with the state of the economy, the value didn't appreciate that much in 13 years.
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(1) Yes you do have to pay capital gains on the entire amount. Although you never saw the money, it is considered as if you sold the land and gave the bank the money.
As for the basis/prior value, you were already aware (it appears) that the value to be reported is the fair market value at the date of death. You don't specify the residence of the person you inherited the land from, or the state the land is located in, but estate or inheritance tax records, probate records, or property tax records may have the information you need.
I have to take off for an hour or two. If you have further questions, I'll answer them when I get back.
The land is Indiana. I will try property tax records. It was inherited from my grandfather, and my dad can find none of his tax records from then to see what the value might have been.
Experience: Over 22 years of tax preparation experience.