Selling a house for the maximum price is only half the equation. The other half, often ignored, is how much of that value actually ends up in your pocket after the "settlement" with the Internal Revenue Service.

Most homeowners know that Capital Gains Tax accounts for 50% of the profit obtained (for residents). What few understand are the three tax levers that, if correctly activated before the deed is signed, can drastically reduce the tax base.

1. The Currency Depreciation Coefficient (The Time Lever) Money is not worth today what it was worth 20 years ago. The State publishes an annual decree with coefficients that update the acquisition value.

Practical Example: If you bought a house in 2000 for R$ 100,000, for tax calculation purposes today, that value could be considered (hypothetically) as R$ 140,000. This "eats" €40,000 from taxable profit without you having to do anything.

The Mistake: Many owners don´t check if the Tax Office has automatically applied the correct coefficient in Appendix G. We audit this.

2. "Eligible" Expenses (The Deduction Lever) The Income Tax Code (CIRS) allows you to deduct expenses that have increased the value of the property in the last 12 years. But the Tax Authority is demanding:

What counts: Structural work, painting, replacement of window frames, heating systems, and also the costs inherent to the purchase and sale (IMT paid on purchase, IS, registrations, energy certificate and the real estate commission).

What fails: Invoices without the owner´s CNPJ, or invoices for "decoration" (curtains, furniture) that are rejected. At Royal House, our team compiles the "Expense Dossier" to maximize these deductions legally. 3. Strategic Reinvestment

The 36-month period for reinvesting in primary residence (HPP) is well-known. What is less discussed is partial reinvestment and loan amortization. If you sell for $300,000 and have a loan of $100,000, the amount to be reinvested is not $200,000, but the total sale price (minus the loan amortization on the sold home). Failing to do this math results in unexpected taxes.