Shawn Lavi, CPA, is the principal and the author of this page. Elias Lavi is co-owner and founder.
In Bel Air the big tax events are a sale and a transfer to the next generation. Both are decided by rules most owners meet only once. We help Bel Air families price a sale, structure a transfer, and file what the state expects.
LaviCPA is Shawn Lavi, CPA and Elias Lavi, CPA. Our one office is at 7707 Sunset Blvd in Los Angeles. Bel Air clients meet us there or on Zoom.
What a Bel Air sale costs in transfer tax
Bel Air is inside the City of Los Angeles. A sale pays the county's $1.10 per $1,000 and the city's base tax of 0.45%. Then Measure ULA applies. For closings after June 30, 2026, ULA is 4% above $5,400,000 and under $10,900,000. At $10,900,000 or more it is 5.5%.
On an estate-scale price, ULA can be the largest single closing cost. We put it in the net-proceeds model next to federal and California capital gains tax before you pick a price.
Leaving the house to your children
Proposition 19 lets a child keep a parent's Prop 13 base only if the home becomes the child's primary residence. The child has to file for the homeowners' exemption within one year. There is also a value cap.
For transfers from February 16, 2025 through February 15, 2027, the child keeps the base only up to the factored base value plus $1,044,586. Market value above that is added. A Bel Air home worth far more than its old base will usually be partly reassessed even when the child moves in. The claim form is BOE-19-P, filed with the LA County Assessor.
We run the property tax cost of a transfer against a sale or a hold, using your real numbers.
Title held in an LLC or partnership
Many Bel Air homes sit in an LLC, partnership, or trust. Selling interests in the entity does not avoid reassessment. When one person or entity gains more than 50% control of an entity that owns California real estate, the property is reassessed.
The buyer must report that change to the Board of Equalization on Form BOE-100-B within 90 days. There is no extension, and missing it can bring a 10% penalty. We track ownership percentages across family transfers so a gift does not trip this by accident.
Bel Air FAQs
Does ULA apply when I sell my Bel Air home?
Yes, above the thresholds. Bel Air is in the City of Los Angeles. For closings after June 30, 2026, ULA is 4% above $5,400,000 and 5.5% at $10,900,000 or more.
Can my children keep my Prop 13 base on the Bel Air house?
Only if it becomes a child's primary residence, and only up to the factored base value plus $1,044,586 for transfers through February 15, 2027. Value above that is reassessed.
Can I avoid reassessment by selling LLC interests instead of the deed?
No. If someone gains more than 50% control of the LLC, the property is reassessed, and a BOE-100-B is due within 90 days.
Book a free 30-minute New Client Introduction
Tell us how title is held today and what you are weighing. We will map the tax cost of each path.
Book a free 30-minute New Client Introduction
General information only, not advice for your situation. Rules and rates change, so we confirm them before you act.