How do I avoid taxes on REIT?
Avoiding REIT dividend taxation
The majority of REIT dividends are taxed as ordinary income up to the maximum rate of 37% (returning to 39.6% in 2026), plus a separate 3.8% surtax on investment income. Taxpayers may also generally deduct 20% of the combined qualified business income amount which includes Qualified REIT Dividends through Dec.
This makes them a great type of dividend investment to hold in tax-advantaged retirement accounts like traditional IRAs, Roth IRAs, and 401(k)s. In this scenario, you wouldn't need to keep track of the cost basis from ROC. It's also okay to own REITs in taxable accounts.
In order to qualify as a REIT, the REIT must distribute at least 90% of its taxable income. To the extent that the REIT retains income, it must pay taxes on such income just like any other corporation.
Typically, REIT dividends are taxed individually as ordinary income, but you can avoid the tax burden if your investment grows within a Roth IRA. Investment earnings are tax-free in a Roth IRA – including REIT dividends — so you may end up keeping significantly more of your earnings than you would with a REIT alone.
After the first taxable year, REITs cannot be closely held. A REIT will be closely held if more than 50 percent of the value of its outstanding stock is owned directly or indirectly by or for five or fewer individuals at any point during the last half of the taxable year. This is commonly referred to as the 5/50 Test.
REITs and REIT Funds
Real estate investment trusts are a poor fit for taxable accounts for the reason that I just mentioned. Their income tends to be high and often composes a big share of the returns that investors earn from them, as REITs must pay out a minimum of 90% of their taxable income in dividends each year.
REITs primarily pay through dividends and generally don't appreciate in value significantly. Because of their high dividend yield, holding a REIT in your Roth IRA or health savings account is generally the most tax-efficient strategy.
There is a current tax benefit for investing in REITs that is set to expire, at the end of the 2025 tax year. Individuals can currently deduct 20% of the pass-through income coming from REIT investments.
Use Form 1120-REIT, U.S. Income Tax Return for Real Estate Investment Trusts, to report the income, gains, losses, deductions, credits, certain penalties; and to figure the income tax liability of a REIT.
What is bad income for REITs?
All the rental income from a particular project could be “bad income” and ultimately cause a REIT to lose its REIT status if its ITSI exceeds 1% of all amounts received or accrued by the REIT with respect to an applicable property for a particular tax year.
For Group REITs, the consequences of leaving early apply when the principal company of the group gives notice for the group as a whole to leave the regime within ten years of joining or where an exiting company has been a member of the Group REIT for less than ten years.
The Cheapest Option: REITs—$1,000 to $25,000 or more
These are securities and are traded on major exchanges like stocks. They invest in real estate directly, either through property purchases or through mortgage investments.
Yet, some REITs like Realty Income Corp (O ) do, in fact, follow the 90% rule because it provides other benefits. In general, REITs do not pay taxes at the trust level insofar as they distribute 90% of their income to shareholders. Of course, REITs that follow this rule still pay corporate taxes on any retained income.
REITs are a Potent Source for Retirement Income
On average, 70% of the annual dividends paid by REITs qualify as ordinary taxable income, 15% qualify as return of capital, and 16% qualify as long-term capital gains.
Tax Advantages
IRA accounts can be used to purchase publicly traded and non-traded REIT shares. By holding REIT shares within an IRA account, investors can defer taxes on both the capital gains and dividend income until they make withdrawals in retirement, which may improve the overall tax efficiency of the investment.
(iii) With respect to property that consists of land or improvements, the REIT has held the property for not less than two years for the production of rental income.
During a REIT's second year, the entity requires that five or fewer investors may not own or control, directly or indirectly, more than 50% of a REIT (the 5/50 test).
How Do You Make Money on a REIT? Since REITs are required by the IRS to pay out 90% of their taxable income to shareholders, REIT dividends are often much higher than the average stock on the S&P 500. One of the best ways to receive passive income from REITs is through the compounding of these high-yield dividends.
Non-traded REITs have little liquidity, meaning it's difficult for investors to sell them. Publicly traded REITs have the risk of losing value as interest rates rise, which typically sends investment capital into bonds.
Are REITs a waste of money?
However, REITs are not risk-free: they may have highly inconsistent, variable returns; are sensitive to interest rate changes are liable to income taxes may not be liquid, and can be dramatically affected by fees.
Some of the main risk factors associated with REITs include leverage risk, liquidity risk, and market risk.
| Company (ticker) | 5-year total return | 5-year dividend growth |
|---|---|---|
| Equinix (EQIX) | 125.0% | 9.5% |
| Prologis (PLD) | 121.8% | 12.4% |
| Eastgroup Properties (EGP) | 107.9% | 13.3% |
| Gaming and Leisure Properties (GLPI) | 99.7% | 1.1% |
The dividends distributed to investors by a REIT can either be considered ordinary income or qualified income. The taxes that you as an investor will pay on those dividends depends on its income class. This can be ordinary dividends (taxed at your ordinary tax rate) or qualified dividends (taxed at a lower rate).
“I recommend REITs within a managed portfolio,” Devine said, noting that most investors should limit their REIT exposure to between 2 percent and 5 percent of their overall portfolio. Here again, a financial professional can help you determine what percentage of your portfolio you should allocate toward REITs, if any.
