Guides
Schedule E, depreciation, and the deductions small landlords actually use, with the math worked out.
Start here · 8 min read
One duplex carried through income, deductions, depreciation, passive losses, QBI, 1099s, and the taxes waiting when you sell.
Guide · 9 min read
What each Schedule E line actually means for a 2-10 unit residential landlord, including the depreciation line spreadsheets skip.
Guide · 8 min read
Basis, the land split, the mid-month convention, and what the deduction is actually worth on a real building, in dollars.
Guide · 10 min read
The 45 and 180-day clocks, the qualified-intermediary rule, and the honest math on when a one-property exchange is not worth it.
Guide · 11 min read
The 2026 threshold is $2,000, not $600. A three-gate decision for who needs a 1099-NEC, plus the W-9 and card carve-out.
Guide · 7 min read
Stoves, fridges, and dishwashers are 5-year property, not 27.5. The class life, the de minimis election, and the Q4 trap.
100% bonus depreciation is back and permanent for property placed in service after Jan 19, 2025. What qualifies in a rental, and what never will.
Built-in cabinets and counters are 27.5-year property. Why a kitchen remodel gets capitalized, and how to split appliances onto a faster schedule.
Carpet is 5-year property, but tile and hardwood ride the 27.5-year building schedule. Here is the split, with IRS sources for each side.
An independent break-even on cost segregation: study fee versus the deduction, plus the passive-loss trap that strands it for most W-2 landlords.
Guide · 5 min read
An attached deck or porch is a building addition: 27.5-year straight line, not a 15-year land improvement. Here is the rule and the repair exception.
The deduction you took every year comes due at the sale. How recapture works, the 25% cap, and the trap that bites if you never claimed it.
A driveway is a 15-year land improvement, not part of the 27.5-year building. The class life, the bonus deduction most landlords miss, and repair vs. repave.
Wiring, panels, and fixtures are 27.5-year structural property. The repair-versus-upgrade line that decides where your electrical bill lands.
A fence is a 15-year land improvement, not part of the 27.5-year building. The class life, bonus depreciation, and the repair line.
The land-versus-building split, Part I vs Part III, recapture, and how the gain flows out to Schedule D, with worked numbers.
Furniture inside a rental is 5-year property, office furniture is 7-year, and most pieces are cheap enough to expense outright. Here is the split.
A garage door is a door, so it is 27.5-year property when you capitalize it. But a sub-$2,500 job usually expenses in full this year.
Deed the rental now or leave it in the will? Carryover basis vs the step-up, run through one duplex in real dollars.
Siding and gutters are 27.5-year structural components, not 15-year land improvements. The repair line, the safe harbor, and the disposition you skip.
Central HVAC is 27.5-year structural property, not a 5-year appliance or a Section 179 write-off. Here is the line that trips up landlords.
Inherit a rental and your basis steps up to date-of-death value, the old depreciation recapture dies, and a fresh 27.5-year schedule begins.
Shrubs, plantings, and sprinklers are 15-year land improvements, not part of the 27.5-year building. The class life, the carve-outs, and the land trap.
How a rental loss gets trapped, the $25k allowance, Form 8582 suspension, and the release that frees everything on sale.
Pipes, drains, and fixtures are 27.5-year structural components, not 5-year appliances. The class life, the repair line, and a repipe.
Two tests, both required. The honest verdict for a self-managing landlord with a day job, plus what to do when the answer is no.
A new roof is a 27.5-year improvement, not a repair. The class life, the repair line, and the old-roof write-off most landlords forget.
Adjusted basis, accumulated depreciation, unrecaptured 1250 gain, long-term gain, and NIIT, walked end to end on one sale.
The 7-day rule and material participation, accurately explained, then the operational math on whether converting your long-term rental is worth it.
Guide · 4 min read
The rules changed in 2025. Three recovery-period buckets, the ITC basis cut, and why this is the one to hand a CPA.
A washer and dryer are 5-year appliances, not 27.5-year building. The class life, the de minimis election, and the basis trap when they convey.
A water heater is plumbing, a structural component on the 27.5-year schedule, not a 5-year appliance. Plus the de minimis escape hatch.
Windows and doors are structural components: 27.5-year life when capitalized, but a broken-pane fix is a repair. Where the line sits and what it costs.
Template · 4 min read
A printable year-end checklist grouped by Schedule E line, so the pile you hand your CPA assembles in December instead of March.
Never claimed depreciation on your rental? The allowed-or-allowable rule, the amend vs Form 3115 decision, and the catch-up math.
The section 199A deduction worth up to 20% of net rental profit, the four safe harbor rules, and the hours log that survives an exam.
Who can deduct rental losses against W-2 income, how the $100k to $150k MAGI phase-out works, and where suspended losses go.
The IRS test, the three safe harbors, and 20 common landlord expenses sorted into deduct-now or depreciate, with the dollars worked out.
All guides · written by a landlord, not a marketing team.