Definition
The home where you live most of the year, receiving favorable tax treatment including capital gains exclusions and mortgage interest deductions. The IRS cares deeply about distinguishing this from your 'vacation home' to prevent creative accounting.
Example Usage
By living in the property for two of the past five years as their principal residence, they excluded $500,000 in capital gains from taxes when selling.
Origin
Tax law terminology distinguishing primary dwellings from investment or secondary properties
Fun Fact
You can only have one principal residence at a time, but you can change which property qualifies, leading to strategic timing of sales for tax optimization.
Source: IRS tax code and regulations
Related Terms
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