How can you determine whether a particular real property is a capital asset or an ordinary asset?

a) Real properties shall be classified with respect to taxpayers engaged in the real estate business as follows:

i) All real properties acquired by the real estate dealer shall be considered as ordinary assets.

ii) All real properties acquired by the real estate developer, whether developed or undeveloped as of the time of acquisition, and all real properties which are held by the real estate developer primarily for sale or for lease to customers in the ordinary course of his trade or business or which would properly be included in the inventory of the taxpayer if on hand at the close of the taxable year and all real properties used in the trade or business, whether in the form of land, building, or other improvements, shall be considered as ordinary assets.

iii) All real properties of the real estate lessor, whether land, building and/or improvements, which are for lease/rent or being offered for lease/rent, or otherwise for use or being used in the trade or business shall likewise be considered as ordinary assets.

iv) All real properties acquired in the course of trade or business by a taxpayer habitually engaged in the sale of real property shall be considered as ordinary assets.

Note: Registration with the HLURB or HUDCC as a real estate dealer or developer shall be sufficient for a taxpayer to be considered as habitually engaged in the sale of real estate.

If the taxpayer is not registered with the HLURB or HUDCC as a real estate dealer or developer, he/it may nevertheless be deemed to be engaged in the real estate business through the establishment of substantial relevant evidence (such as consummation during the preceding year of at least six (6) taxable real estate sale transactions, regardless of amount; registration as habitually engaged in real estate business with the Local Government Unit or the Bureau of Internal Revenue, etc.)

b) In the case of taxpayer not engaged in the real estate business, real properties, whether land, building, or other improvements, which are used or being used or have been previously used in trade or business of the taxpayer shall be considered as ordinary assets.

c) In the case of taxpayers who changed its real estate business to a non-real estate business, real properties held by these taxpayer shall remain to be treated as ordinary assets.

d) In the case of taxpayers who originally registered to be engaged in the real estate business but failed to subsequently operate, all real properties acquired by them shall continue to be treated as ordinary assets.

e) Real properties formerly forming part of the stock in trade of a taxpayer engaged in the real estate business, or formerly being used in the trade or business of a taxpayer engaged or not engaged in the real estate business, which were later on abandoned and became idle, shall continue to be treated as ordinary assets. Provided however, that properties classified as ordinary assets for being used in business by a taxpayer engaged in business other than real estate business are automatically converted into capital assets upon showing proof that the same have not been used in business for more than two years prior to the consummation of the taxable transactions involving said properties

f) Real properties classified as capital or ordinary asset in the hands of the seller/transferor may change their character in the hands of the buyer/transferee. The classification of such property in the hands of the buyer/transferee shall be determined in accordance with the following rules:

i) Real property transferred through succession or donation to the heir or donee who is not engaged in the real estate business with respect to the real property inherited or donated, and who does not subsequently use such property in trade or business, shall be considered as a capital asset in the hands of the heir or donee.

ii) Real property received as dividend by the stockholders who are not engaged in the real estate business and who do not subsequently use such property in trade or business, shall be considered as a capital asset in the hands of the recipients even if the corporation which declared the real property dividends is engaged in real estate business.

iii) The real property received in an exchange shall be treated as ordinary asset in the hands of the case of a tax-free exchange by taxpayer not engaged in real estate business to a taxpayer who is engaged in real estate business, or to a taxpayer who, even if not engaged in real estate business, will use in business the property received in exchange.

g) In the case of involuntary transfers of real properties, including expropriations or foreclosure sale, the involuntariness of such sale shall have no effect on the classification of such real property in the hands of the involuntary seller, either as capital asset or ordinary asset as the case may be.

(Excerpts from Source : http://www.bir.gov.ph/taxinfo/tax_capgin.htm)