My mother passed away on Dec 7. Her house was appraised on January by a state certified appraiser at $135,000. It will sell on April 30 for $90,000. Can beneficiaries take a capital loss of $45000 plus expenses of the sale. More specifically, I guess I should ask if the basis on the house is $135,000?

JH

Yes, the basis of the property you inherit is the fair market value at the date of death or an alternate date used by the personal representative.
For more information read: Your U.S. Tax Return: Tax on Inheritances