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Changes to the Home Sale Gain Exclusion Many taxpayers bought a second home, such as a vacation home, with the intention of later converting the second home into their principal residence. Under pre-2008 Housing Act law, those taxpayers could have excluded up to $250,000 ($500,000 for certain joint filers) upon a later sale of that former vacation home as long as the two-year ownership and use tests for the exclusion were satisfied.   Required Minimum Distributions Waived for 2009 Taxpayers can be subjected to an onerous excise tax if they take less than the required minimum distribution (RMD) from their retirement plan each year.   Sales Tax Write-offs for Vehicles and Motor Homes A provision in the recent Stimulus Act provides that qualified motor vehicle taxes are deductible as either an itemized deduction or as a component of the standard deduction.