What if a husband and wife own a home together that increases in value by $500,000. When one spouse dies and the other owns the property themselves, do they receive a step-up in basis? Or do they only receive a$250,000 capital gains exemption when they sell the property? – Samuel Your question deals with the rules surrounding both a step-up in basis of an inherited asset and the capital gain exclusion on the sale of a primary residence. These rules are independent of each other, so both are true: the surv ...