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Clarifications on Partial Disposition Tax Guidelines

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News for CPAs: New Tax Regulations allow you to retire individual building components. Must be Done This Tax Season.   CPAs and Building Owners Take Full Advantage of this New IRS Tax Regulation and Save Thousands of Dollars.   Many accountants and tax professionals are not yet aware of the new partial disposition tax regulations that were enacted in the middle of tax season this past August. For the first time ever, a structural component of a building can be disposed of individually, allowing the taxpayer to realize significant additional depreciation deductions.  However, if the component was replaced after 1/1/14 it MUST be addressed on this year’s tax return, or it will forever be embedded in the building’s basis.   Here’s the example summarized from Treasury Decision 9689:   $20MM bldg placed in service 2011. On 1/1/14, depreciation reserve is $1,261,000. Replaced the entire roof in 2014. Assume $1 million is the cost of the retired roof. On the 2014 retur...

The Taxman Cometh: A Tale of Woe and Wonder

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Check out this psychology experiment that was designed to measure the cost of your distractions: When you sit at your computer trying to write or work, there is a real danger that you will get interrupted by an email, instant message, text message, or phone call. Even if you do your best to skip past the distractions, there still may be a moment where you have to stop and decide whether to answer the phone or check your email—and that itself is a distraction. What influence do all those small interruptions have on your ability to perform complex tasks? This question was addressed in a clever set of studies by Erik Altmann, Greg Trafton, and David Hambrick, described in a paper in the February 2014 issue of the Journal of Experimental Psychology: General. To explore the question, the researchers had to develop a complex task that would allow them to observe errors. Participants saw a computer screen with a box in the center. In each trial, there was a number and a letter. One of the cha...

Cost Segregation Demystified: A Roadmap for Property Tax Savings

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Cost Segregation Basics Cost segregation is an alternate method of depreciation in which pieces of a property are classified into separate categories for tax purposes. Instead of applying a typical 39-year depreciation cycle on the entire property and its contents, Cost Segregation allows some asset classes to be depreciated faster, resulting in near-term tax savings. The classifications are created with a Cost Segregation engineering study (sometimes called a “cost seg”). IRS rules provide guidance on how to properly classify these assets and how various asset classes may be depreciated under the Modified Accelerated Cost Recovery System (MACRS). Proper asset classification can be a gray area, but software exists that can allow property owners to do an initial evaluation and determine if a more detailed cost segregation study is worthwhile for their situation. Cost Segregation allows some asset classes to be depreciated faster, resulting in near-term tax savings. Benefits of Cost Se...

Tax Efficiency Unlocked - Maximizing Savings through Cost Segregation

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Cost Segregation Basics Cost segregation is an alternate method of depreciation in which pieces of a property are classified into separate categories for tax purposes. Instead of applying a typical 39-year depreciation cycle on the entire property and its contents, Cost Segregation allows some asset classes to be depreciated faster, resulting in near-term tax savings. The classifications are created with a Cost Segregation engineering study (sometimes called a “cost seg”). IRS rules provide guidance on how to properly classify these assets and how various asset classes may be depreciated under the Modified Accelerated Cost Recovery System (MACRS). Proper asset classification can be a gray area, but software exists that can allow property owners to do an initial evaluation and determine if a more detailed cost segregation study is worthwhile for their situation. Cost Segregation allows some asset classes to be depreciated faster, resulting in near-term tax savings. Benefits of Cost Se...

Cost Segregation Explained: How It Works and Why It Matters for Your Taxes

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What is a Cost Segregation Study ? A Cost Segregation Study is a smart tax planning tool that allows commercial real estate investors like yourself, whether you’re renting out a small house or own a large shopping center, to accelerate depreciation on certain components of your property, thereby helping you to defer your tax liability and retain more cash. This approach involves a detailed analysis to identify and reclassify property components for income tax purposes, enabling investors to optimize their tax benefits. Think of cost segregation as breaking down your property into different pieces. Some parts might get you tax savings faster than others as these can be depreciated much faster. This is great because it means you can hold on to more money now instead of waiting years for it. But cost segregation is applicable only to investment properties, excluding primary residences. This approach makes sure the strategy helps your investment properties make more money, not just save o...

Thinking About DIY Cost Segregation? Here's What You Should Consider

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Cost segregation is a valuable tax strategy that allows property owners to accelerate depreciation on certain assets, thereby reducing tax liability and enhancing cash flow. However, the process of conducting a cost segregation study can be quite costly, with professional fees often running into the tens of thousands of dollars. This raises an important question for many investors: Can you conduct a cost segregation study yourself and save some of this money? According to the IRS Cost Segregation Audit Technique guide , you can conduct the cost segregation study on your own for smaller projects but may require assistance for larger projects. This means the IRS allows you to do your own study, provided you have expertise in construction, taxation, and engineering. So, if you choose to go the DIY route, consider using specialized cost segregation study software to guide and simplify the process, helping avoid common mistakes in your cost segregation report. Pros and Cons of Conducting ...