Guides
Plain-English answers on home cost basis, capital improvements, and the tax you can avoid overpaying when you sell. Educational only — not tax advice.
Lost your home improvement receipts? Here's what to do
Missing the receipts for years of renovations doesn't mean the basis is gone. How to reconstruct the record — and protect everything from here on.
4 min readBy projectIs a new roof tax deductible when you sell your home?
A new roof isn't a deduction, but it does something better for most homeowners: it raises your cost basis and lowers the tax on your eventual sale.
3 min readTaxesThe home sale capital gains exclusion, explained
How the $250,000 / $500,000 primary-residence exclusion works, who qualifies, and why your cost basis is what protects the gain above it.
5 min readCost basisCapital improvements vs. repairs: where the IRS draws the line
The same work can be a basis-boosting improvement or a non-qualifying repair. Here's how IRS Publication 523 separates the two — with examples.
4 min readCost basisWhat home improvements add to your cost basis?
A plain-English list of the home improvements that raise your cost basis under IRS Publication 523 — and why that lowers the tax when you sell.
5 min readQuestions, answered
Is this tax advice?
No. KeepBasis is a documentation tool. Classifications reference IRS Publication 523 and are informational — they aren't a determination that a specific cost qualifies, and they aren't advice from a CPA. Verify your numbers with a tax professional before filing.
Why not just use a spreadsheet?
A spreadsheet holds numbers; the IRS wants substantiation. KeepBasis classifies every cost against IRS Pub 523 so repairs don't sneak into your basis, keeps the original invoice attached to each line item, and produces a CPA-ready export with the proof included. If you're ever audited, a list without receipts is just a list.
What's free and what costs money?
The ledger, the IRS Pub 523 classification, the Tax Calculator, and the home value lookup are free. Pro is a one-time $49 purchase that unlocks invoice upload with automatic reading, encrypted document storage attached to every line item, and the one-click CPA-ready export.
Why a one-time fee instead of a subscription?
Because you'll hold these records for years — often decades — and nobody wants a subscription for that. Our real costs are front-loaded (reading your invoices, storing your documents), so a single $49 covers your record for good.
What happens to my data if KeepBasis shuts down?
Your records are never trapped. The full export — a PDF dossier, spreadsheets, and every original invoice — is available anytime with one click. If we ever wind down, we commit to at least 90 days' notice and a final export window. We encourage everyone to keep their own downloaded copy current.
Is my data private?
Your documents are stored encrypted, isolated per-user at the database level, and we never sell your data — that's a product commitment, not a settings page. We also email you at most once per year, around tax time, and never send marketing.
When does tracking actually pay off?
When you sell, gain above $250,000 (single) or $500,000 (married filing jointly) is taxable — thresholds set in 1997 and never adjusted. Every documented improvement dollar reduces that gain dollar-for-dollar, which is typically worth about 15 to 23.8 cents in federal tax for sellers above the exclusion. Even if you're under it today, appreciation keeps pushing sellers over the line.
I've already lost years of receipts. Is it too late?
Start with what you have — card statements, contractor emails, and permits can help reconstruct older projects, and everything from today forward is protected. The best time to start the record was your first renovation; the second best time is before the next one.
Ready to put it into practice?
See if you'd owe tax today, then start a free record of your improvements.