How much do you pay when selling an inherited home in Peru?

Selling a property received through inheritance in Peru involves tax and notarial costs that should be calculated before listing the property. The main item is the second-category Income Tax (IR) on the gain, but there are other local costs and a prior succession sanitation procedure without which the sale cannot be registered.

Before selling: intestate or testamentary succession

In Peru, an inherited property cannot be transferred without formalizing the succession. There are two routes:

• Notarial intestate succession: when there is no will. A notary handles it, takes between 30 and 60 days and costs, depending on the property, between S/ 1,500 and S/ 4,000 including notices and fees.
• Testamentary succession: if there is a will, the notary formalizes the opening and issues the certified copy for registration.

Then the succession is registered, and the subsequent annotation of heir declaration is recorded in SUNARP, associated with the property's registry entry. Only then do the heirs appear as owners and can sell.

Second-category Income Tax

The sale of a property by a natural person generates second-category income. The effective rate in 2026 is 5% on the net gain (equivalent to 6.25% on 80% of the gain, according to the consolidated text of the Income Tax Law).

Gain = Transfer value − Computable cost
Taxable net gain = Gain × 80%
IR to pay = Net gain × 6.25%  (≈ 5% on the gain)

For an inherited home, the computable cost is determined as follows (article 21 of the IR Law and its regulation):

• If the deceased acquired the property for consideration: the computable cost the deceased had (their updated purchase value) is taken, because the regulation provides that inheritance preserves that historical cost for the heirs.
• If the deceased also received it through inheritance or donation: the autoavalúo for the year in which the gratuitous transfer occurred is taken, according to current regulations.

This is very different from believing the cost is zero. It is worth reviewing the deceased's documentation: purchase minute, public deed and old autoavalúos.

Casa habitación: the exemption

The sale of property that qualifies as casa habitación is exempt from IR. For SUNAT, it qualifies as casa habitación when the seller has been the owner for at least two years and the property is not used for commerce, office, industry or similar.

If the inherited home meets this condition and the period is counted from the deceased's acquisition date (not from the succession, according to current SUNAT criteria), many sales end up not being taxed. It is advisable to confirm with the notary that the documentation supports it before signing.

Alcabala (paid by the buyer)

The Alcabala Tax is paid by the buyer, not the seller. The rate is 3% on the transfer value or the adjusted autoavalúo, whichever is greater, with a non-taxable minimum of 10 UIT. In Metropolitan Lima it is collected by SAT de Lima or, depending on the district, by the respective municipality. As a seller, what matters is to deliver the property free of prior Alcabala debts and with predial up to date.

Property tax and arbitrios

Before signing the minute, the seller must be up to date with:

• Impuesto Predial (autoavalúo) for the current year and previous years if applicable.
• Municipal arbitrios (cleaning, parks, security).

The notary will require the HR and PU of the autoavalúo for the current year and the payment receipts to register the transfer.

Step-by-step process to sell an inherited home

1. Process the succession (intestate or testamentary) and its registration in SUNARP.
2. Obtain a literal copy of the updated registry entry.
3. Gather certificates of no debt for property tax and arbitrios at the municipality.
4. Sign the sale minute with attorney advice.
5. Elevate the minute to public deed before a notary.
6. The notary or the seller declares and pays the IR at SUNAT (virtual form No. 1665) the month following the sale.
7. Register the transfer in SUNARP. The registry fee depends on the property's value.

Numerical example: Lima, 2026

An apartment in Magdalena del Mar, bought by the father in 2008 for S/ 280,000, is inherited in 2022 and sold in 2026 for S/ 720,000. The computable cost is updated with the IPM and stands at approximately S/ 410,000. Result:

Gain = 720,000 − 410,000 = 310,000
Taxable gain (80%) = 248,000
IR ≈ 248,000 × 6.25% = 15,500

If the heirs lived in the property as casa habitación and SUNAT accepts the condition, the operation is exempt and the calculated IR is not paid.

Common mistakes

• Assuming zero cost because it was inherited: the regulation allows taking the deceased's cost.
• Selling before registering the succession: the notary will not issue the deed nor will SUNARP register it.
• Not updating the autoavalúo for the current year at the municipality.
• Channeling payments through informal means: it makes it harder to prove the computable cost and the date of the operation before SUNAT.
• Forgetting the virtual IR payment form the month following the sale.

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