Tax Preparation Help  
Publication 537 2008 Tax Year

Publication 537 - Introductory Material


Photographs of missing children. The Internal Revenue Service is a proud partner with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Photographs of missing children selected by the Center may appear in this publication on pages that would otherwise be blank. You can help bring these children home by looking at the photographs and calling 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678) if you recognize a child.

Note. Section references within this publication are to the Internal Revenue Code and regulation references are to the Income Tax Regulations under the Code.

An installment sale is a sale of property where you receive at least one payment after the tax year of the sale. If you realize a gain on an installment sale, you may be able to report part of your gain when you receive each payment. This method of reporting gain is called the installment method. You cannot use the installment method to report a loss. You can choose to report all of your gain in the year of sale.

This publication discusses the general rules that apply to using the installment method. It also discusses more complex rules that apply only when certain conditions exist or certain types of property are sold. There are two examples of reporting installment sale income on Form 6252 near the end of the publication.

If you sell your home or other nonbusiness property under an installment plan, you may need to read only the General Rules. If you sell business or rental property or have a like-kind exchange or other complex situation, also see the appropriate discussion under Other Rules, later.

Comments and suggestions.   We welcome your comments about this publication and your suggestions for future editions.

  You can write to us at the following address:

Internal Revenue Service
Individual Forms and Publications Branch
SE:W:CAR:MP:T:I
1111 Constitution Ave. NW, IR-6526
Washington, DC 20224

  We respond to many letters by telephone. Therefore, it would be helpful if you would include your daytime phone number, including the area code, in your correspondence.

  You can email us at *taxforms@irs.gov. (The asterisk must be included in the address.) Please put “Publications Comment” on the subject line. Although we cannot respond individually to each email, we do appreciate your feedback and will consider your comments as we revise our tax products.

Ordering forms and publications.   Visit www.irs.gov/formspubs to download forms and publications, call 1-800-829-3676, or write to the address below and receive a response within 10 days after your request is received.


Internal Revenue Service
1201 N. Mitsubishi Motorway
Bloomington, IL 61705-6613

Tax questions.   If you have a tax question, check the information available on www.irs.gov or call 1-800-829-1040. We cannot answer tax questions sent to either of the above addresses.

Publication

  • 523 Selling Your Home

  • 538 Accounting Periods and Methods

  • 541 Partnerships

  • 544 Sales and Other Dispositions of Assets

  • 550 Investment Income and Expenses

  • 551 Basis of Assets

  • 925 Passive Activity and At-Risk Rules

Form (and Instructions)

  • 4797 Sales of Business Property

  • 6252 Installment Sale Income

See How To Get Tax Help near the end of this publication for information about getting publications and forms.

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