Dan bought a hotel for $2,600,000 in January 2012. In May 2016, he died and left the hotel to Ed. While Dan owned the hotel, he deducted $289,000 of cost recovery. The fair market value in May 2016 was $2,800,000. The fair market value six months later was $2,850,000.
a. What is the basis of the property to Ed?
b. What is the basis of the property to Ed if the fair market value six months later was $2,500,000 (not $2,850,000) and the objective of the executor was to minimize the estate tax liability?