The Tax Man Cometh... But Owning Rental Property May Help!

It's like some sort of horror movie... you don't realize that ever so slowly creeping up on you is an evil force. Well, at least thats how I think of tax season. Every year, it sneaks up on me and I then go into "Deduction Hunt" mode trying to find every little tax deduction.

One of the great things about owning investment property or rental property is the tax benefits. Not only are you investing in an appreciating assett (hopefully) and seing a fair return monthly (hopefully) but at the end of the year if just about any and all things you paid out for on ther rental / investment property are tax deductible.

One of the painful parts of owning rental property is the unexpected big ticket expense that could potentially wipe out your cash flow. Althogh this could still occur... having the ability to writie it off is incredible... particulary if you know you will be paying the Man in March.

Here are some great tips from NOLO.com - you can read the full article here: "Top Ten Tax Deductions For Landlords"

1. Interest

Interest is often a landlord's single biggest deductible expense. Common examples of interest that landlords can deduct include mortgage interest payments on loans used to acquire or improve rental property and interest on credit cards for goods or services used in a rental activity.

2. Depreciation

The actual cost of a house, apartment building, or other rental property is not fully deductible in the year in which you pay for it. Instead, landlords get back the cost of real estate through depreciation. This involves deducting a portion of the cost of the property over several years.

3. Repairs

The cost of repairs to rental property (provided the repairs are ordinary, necessary, and reasonable in amount) are fully deductible in the year in which they are incurred. Good examples of deductible repairs include repainting, fixing gutters or floors, fixing leaks, plastering, and replacing broken windows.

4. Local Travel

Landlords are entitled to a tax deduction whenever they drive anywhere for their rental activity. For example, when you drive to your rental building to deal with a tenant complaint or go to the hardware store to purchase a part for a repair, you can deduct your travel expenses.

5. Long Distance Travel

If you travel overnight for your rental activity, you can deduct your airfare, hotel bills, meals, and other expenses. If you plan your trip carefully, you can even mix landlord business with pleasure and still take a deduction.
However, IRS auditors closely scrutinize deductions for overnight travel -- and many taxpayers get caught claiming these deductions without proper records to back them up. To stay within the law (and avoid unwanted attention from the IRS), you need to properly document your long distance travel expenses.

6. Home Office

Provided they meet certain minimal requirements, landlords may deduct their home office expenses from their taxable income. This deduction applies not only to space devoted to office work, but also to a workshop or any other home workspace you use for your rental business. This is true whether you own your home or apartment or are a renter.
For the ins and outs on taking the home office deduction, see Home Business Tax Deductions or Every Landlord's Tax Deduction Guide, both by Stephen Fishman (Nolo).

7. Employees and Independent Contractors

Whenever you hire anyone to perform services for your rental activity, you can deduct their wages as a rental business expense. This is so whether the worker is an employee (for example, a resident manager) or an independent contractor (for example, a repair person).

8. Casualty and Theft Losses

If your rental property is damaged or destroyed from a sudden event like a fire or flood, you may be able to obtain a tax deduction for all or part of your loss. These types of losses are called casualty losses. You usually won't be able to deduct the entire cost of property damaged or destroyed by a casualty. How much you may deduct depends on how much of your property was destroyed and whether the loss was covered by insurance.

9. Insurance

You can deduct the premiums you pay for almost any insurance for your rental activity. This includes fire, theft, and flood insurance for rental property, as well as landlord liability insurance. And if you have employees, you can deduct the cost of their health and workers' compensation insurance.

10. Legal and Professional Services

Finally, you can deduct fees that you pay to attorneys, accountants, property management companies, real estate investment advisors, and other professionals. You can deduct these fees as operating expenses as long as the fees are paid for work related to your rental activity

I AM NO MEANS A TAX EXPERT SO ASK YOUR TAX ADVISOR ABOUT THESE ITEMS!