Court says façade easement is worth nothing
The Tax Court, getting a second bite at the apple, has denied a charitable contribution deduction for a façade easement that it found has no value. The Court agreed with the IRS that the restrictions imposed on the single family home in the historic South End area of Boston were not significantly more stringent that existing governmental regulations and rejected an appraisal that claimed the easement cut 12% off the value of the home. Taxpayers Lorna and Gordon Kaufman claimed the easement cut the value of their $1.8 million home by $220,800 and claimed the deduction over two years. The Tax Court originally denied the deduction because a prior mortgagee retained first priority on insurance...
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