Tax Deductions for Vacant Land

Vacant land has long been viewed by many as an attractive investment. After all, it's the stuff they're not making any more of. You usually earn no income from vacant land, but you do have expenses for such items as property tax, interest, and other carrying costs. Can you deduct these costs? It depends.

Real Estate Dealer vs. Real Estate Investor

For tax purposes there are two types of people who own vacant land: Investors and real estate dealers.

What Is a Real Estate Dealer?

Real estate dealers are in the business of buying and selling land. A dealer buys property and resells it, usually at a price higher than the purchase price, and normally after only a short holding period.

A good example is a subdivider who buys large tracts of vacant land, divides them into smaller lots, and then resells the lots piecemeal. Numerous and continuous sales over an extended time period are the hallmark of a real estate dealer.

What Deductions Can Real Estate Dealers Take?

Real estate dealers are entitled to the much the same deductions as any other business owner. They can deduct all the expenses of owning the vacant land they buy and sell, including interest, taxes, and other carrying costs. If you are a sole proprietor, these are deducted on IRS Schedule C.

How Are Real Estate Dealers Taxed?

On the down side, all the profits real estate dealers earn from their business are taxed at ordinary income rates instead of capital gains rates. Moreover, they must pay Social Security and Medicare taxes on their net self-employment income, as well as income tax.

Also, real estate dealers aren't allowed to take depreciation deductions. So if the land has structures on it, their cost can't be deducted.

Are You a Real Estate Investor?

A person who purchases real estate as an investment isn't in the business of buying and selling vacant land on a continuous and extended basis. Rather, an investor purchases land and usually holds on to it for some time in the hope that it will appreciate in value. Because an investor isn't engaged in a business, they aren't entitled to business deductions and don't file Schedule C.

Personal Itemized Deductions for Real Estate Investors

However, many investment expenses are deductible as personal itemized deductions on Schedule A. These expenses are an ordinary tax deduction that results in tax benefits at your regular income tax rate.

Interest

Any interest an investor pays on money borrowed to purchase vacant land is investment interest that can be deducted as an itemized personal deduction. However, the annual deduction for investment interest is limited to the investor's net investment income for the year. Any excess is carried over to future years. You determine the amount of your net investment income by subtracting your annual investment expenses (other than interest expenses) from your investment income.

Property Taxes

An investor can also deduct property taxes paid on a vacant land as a personal itemized deduction on Schedule A. This deduction isn't limited to the amount of net investment income. Nor is it subject to the $40,000 annual limit (2025) on deducting property tax paid on a main or second home. The $40,000 limit doesn't apply to investment property.

Other Expenses Not Deductible

Until 2018, other carrying costs, such as legal and accounting fees, landscaping, insurance, and travel expenses, could be deducted as miscellaneous itemized deductions on Schedule A, but only to the extent the exceeded 2% of the taxpayer's adjusted gross income. However, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act continued the suspension of these miscellaneous itemized deductions, as originally enacted by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. And, you can't add these expenses to your property's basis as described below.

If You Don't Itemize

If you don't itemize your deductions on your tax return, you won't be able to deduct the property tax and interest expenses you incur from owning vacant land. In this event, you should elect to add these expenses to your land's cost basis. This will reduce any taxable profit you earn when you sell the property.

You must make an annual election to add these costs to your land's basis ("capitalize" them in tax jargon). You can elect to capitalize all your costs, or capitalize some and not others. For example, you could capitalize interest but not property taxes.

To make this election you should add a statement like the following to your tax return:

"For tax year _____, taxpayer hereby elects under Code Section 266 and IRS Regulations 1.266-1 to capitalize, rather than deduct, property taxes and mortgage interest on the 111 First St. vacant lot."

You need to make this election each year you want to add these costs to your land's basis. If you want, you can make the election some years you own the property, and not make it in others.

Learn More

If you are interested in learning more about purchasing and building on vacant land browse these informative vacant land articles. Consulting a tax professional for advice tailored to your individual circumstances is also a good idea. IRS enforcement and court interpretations can change with evolving circumstances.