Hotel & Motel Management - December 8, 2008 - (Page 12) 12 On Finance IN THE details Think beyond straight sale Net lease property Refinance proceeds Can avoid tax loss H&MM December 8, 2008 | HotelMotel.com www.HotelMotel.com/digital_edition Creative deals can help transactions close A By Jeff Wilder H&MM Columnist hotel investor was considering the sale of his property but learned the income tax bite made a sale unappealing. Like many, our owner is interested in selling long-held assets but has a “mortgage in excess of basis,” meaning the current debt on the hotel is higher than its taxable depreciated basis. This condition devel- ops because (1) taxpayers tend to maximize annual property depreciation in order to reduce ongoing taxable income, thereby lowering one’s depreciable property basis, and (2) the mortgage on the hotel amortizes a lot slower than basis is being reduced. Because one pays capital gains tax at sale on the difference between the property’s depreciat- ed basis and the selling price, not between the mortgage debt and that price, a seller often has taxable profit that exceeds the net cash proceeds. For example, the owner purchased the hotel for $5 million and since has taken about $4 million of depreciation deductions. So, the hotel’s current depreciated taxable basis is $1 What is your strategy to survive the occupancy crash of 2009? FREE ACTIVATION AND BRAND CONVERSION million. The owner also had refinanced and now had a $4-million mortgage. When a buyer offered $7.5 million for the hotel, the seller thought he’d just pay tax on the net difference between his mortgage and the purchase price, or $3.5 million. He later learned his taxable profit was actually the difference between the $1 million depreciated taxable basis and the sale price, or $6.5 million. So, his capital gains tax figured to be $1.3 million, including $600,000 on the $3 million he’s not receiving at closing, in addition to $700,000 on the $3.5 million being received. Our owner figured if he reinvested the after-tax proceeds of $2.2 million ($3.5 million received less $1.3 million in taxes), it only would yield $125,000 per year of cash flow compared to the current $400,000 earned from hotel operations. Yet, he still wanted to retire. I suggested a deal structure that included increasing his mortgage and net leasing the hotel, rather than a straight sale. By increasing the mortgage debt from $4 million to $5.5 million, he’d pocket $1.5 million cash tax-free. Then, he’d net lease the hotel to a tenant who’d paid him a lease rent that covered the new mortgage debt service plus $125,000 per year, in addition to future upsides. The tenant also would agree to invest $1 million to upgrade the hotel. The result of this alternative deal structure, which the owner accomplished, was that the $1.5 million of refinancing proceeds is earning $100,000 annually in bond investments, in addition to the $125,000 of cash flow being received from the lease rent, or a total of $225,000. Operating responsibility and risk were transferred to the new hotel operator, whose investment gave him “skin in the game.” A win/win all around—and not a penny of tax went to the IRS at closing. hmm@questex.com Jeff Wilder is president of Wilder Ventures LLP, a New York Citybased asset management company, and an adjunct professor at New York University. E-mail him at jswilder1@aol.com. MAGNUSON HOTELS WORLD’S LARGEST INDEPENDENT HOTEL GROUP CIRCLE NO. 125 http://www.HotelMotel.com http://www.HotelMotel.com/digital_edition http://www.magnusonhotels.com http://www.magnusonhotels.com
Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Hotel & Motel Management - December 8, 2008 Hotel & Motel Management - December 8, 2008 Contents Best Western Sets Spending Strategy Courtyard Turns 25, Unveils New Lobby New Division of MGM Goes Beyond Gaming Perspective Legal FAQ Marketing Matters Family Business On Finance AAHOA Update Satisfaction Trends HotelWorld Update Consultant’s Corner Trends & Stats IH/M&RS Editors’ Choice Award Winners Insurance Ad/Editorial Index Marketplace Classifieds Checking Out Hotel & Motel Management - December 8, 2008 Hotel & Motel Management - December 8, 2008 - Hotel & Motel Management - December 8, 2008 (Page 1) Hotel & Motel Management - December 8, 2008 - Hotel & Motel Management - December 8, 2008 (Page 2) Hotel & Motel Management - December 8, 2008 - Contents (Page 3) Hotel & Motel Management - December 8, 2008 - New Division of MGM Goes Beyond Gaming (Page 4) Hotel & Motel Management - December 8, 2008 - New Division of MGM Goes Beyond Gaming (Page 5) Hotel & Motel Management - December 8, 2008 - Perspective (Page 6) Hotel & Motel Management - December 8, 2008 - Perspective (Page 7) Hotel & Motel Management - December 8, 2008 - Marketing Matters (Page 8) Hotel & Motel Management - December 8, 2008 - Marketing Matters (Page 9) Hotel & Motel Management - December 8, 2008 - Family Business (Page 10) Hotel & Motel Management - December 8, 2008 - Family Business (Page 11) Hotel & Motel Management - December 8, 2008 - On Finance (Page 12) Hotel & Motel Management - December 8, 2008 - On Finance (Page 13) Hotel & Motel Management - December 8, 2008 - AAHOA Update (Page 14) Hotel & Motel Management - December 8, 2008 - AAHOA Update (Page 15) Hotel & Motel Management - December 8, 2008 - Satisfaction Trends (Page 16) Hotel & Motel Management - December 8, 2008 - HotelWorld Update (Page 17) Hotel & Motel Management - December 8, 2008 - Consultant’s Corner (Page 18) Hotel & Motel Management - December 8, 2008 - Consultant’s Corner (Page 19) Hotel & Motel Management - December 8, 2008 - Consultant’s Corner (Page 20) Hotel & Motel Management - December 8, 2008 - Consultant’s Corner (Page 21) Hotel & Motel Management - December 8, 2008 - Trends & Stats (Page 22) Hotel & Motel Management - December 8, 2008 - Trends & Stats (Page 23) Hotel & Motel Management - December 8, 2008 - Trends & Stats (Page 24) Hotel & Motel Management - December 8, 2008 - Trends & Stats (Page 25) Hotel & Motel Management - December 8, 2008 - IH/M&RS Editors’ Choice Award Winners (Page 26) Hotel & Motel Management - December 8, 2008 - IH/M&RS Editors’ Choice Award Winners (Page 27) Hotel & Motel Management - December 8, 2008 - Insurance (Page 28) Hotel & Motel Management - December 8, 2008 - Insurance (Page 29) Hotel & Motel Management - December 8, 2008 - Insurance (Page 30) Hotel & Motel Management - December 8, 2008 - Insurance (Page 31) Hotel & Motel Management - December 8, 2008 - Insurance (Page 32) Hotel & Motel Management - December 8, 2008 - Insurance (Page 33) Hotel & Motel Management - December 8, 2008 - Ad/Editorial Index (Page 34) Hotel & Motel Management - December 8, 2008 - Marketplace (Page 35) Hotel & Motel Management - December 8, 2008 - Classifieds (Page 36) Hotel & Motel Management - December 8, 2008 - Classifieds (Page 37) Hotel & Motel Management - December 8, 2008 - Classifieds (Page 38) Hotel & Motel Management - December 8, 2008 - Classifieds (Page 39) Hotel & Motel Management - December 8, 2008 - Classifieds (Page 40) Hotel & Motel Management - December 8, 2008 - Classifieds (Page 41) Hotel & Motel Management - December 8, 2008 - Checking Out (Page 42) Hotel & Motel Management - December 8, 2008 - Checking Out (Page 43) Hotel & Motel Management - December 8, 2008 - Checking Out (Page 44)
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