Quote:
The San Francisco Chronicle reports that the find is a taxable event under a 1969 federal court ruling that held a "treasure trove" is taxable the year it was discovered.
"If you find and keep property that does not belong to you that has been lost or abandoned (treasure-trove), it is taxable to you at its fair market value in the first year it is your undisputed possession,” the report said, citing the IRS tax guide.
The report says after all is said and done, about 47 percent will go to state and federal tax, or the top tax rate.
An accountant told the paper that the couple can try to fight the tax and claim it was there when they bought the property.
Sure think it would be worth arguing that it qualifies as Capital Gains. They just knew that the land had something valuable on it when they bought it since it is located in Gold Country.