There are many landlords who pay more taxes than they should every year, usually because they aren’t familiar with the deductions they can claim. It takes a thorough understanding of tax law and strategic planning to take advantage of all available deductions. Here is a guide to the top five deductions you should claim.
1. Deducting Interest
Perhaps the most important deduction to take is on interest payments, which can represent a significant amount of money each year. This can cover many types of interest payments, including interest on mortgages and loans that were used to purchase or improve your rental property. These interest rate deductions also extend to credit card interest payments that were used to purchase goods or services in relation to your rental properties. Remember that this doesn’t apply to the principal that you initially paid for the property, only the interest accrued.
2. Repair Deductions
The cost of repairs can add up significantly over the year, but the good news is that these repair costs can be deducted from your taxes. Repairs to your property can take many forms:
- Fixing leaks
- Repainting
- Patching a roof
- Plumbing work
- Replacing a broken door
- Plastering a hole in a wall
- Replacing a shattered window
- and more
Be sure to keep receipts and records of all repairs you make. Also be aware that you can only deduct repair costs made the year you performed them, so be sure not to wait on this deduction until next year.
3. Travel Costs
Do you find yourself traveling constantly to repair property, pick up building supplies or meet with a tenant to discuss a problem or complaint? The great part about travel-related expenses is that they are all deductible. This even applies to overnight travel involving flights to other cities. For example, if you attend a real estate conference to help you understand how to improve your business, the plane ticket and hotel costs would also be deductible. At the same time, overnight travel is likely to be the most scrutinized by the IRS when you file your taxes, so it’s important to keep thorough records that can back up your deduction in case of an audit.
4. Depreciation Deductions
Depreciation is one deduction many landlords don’t quite understand; however, this can add up to big savings every year. The basic concept of real estate depreciation is that the IRS allows landlords to claim a “paper loss” on the value of their property. This is based on a model that stipulates that properties will lose value over 27 and a half years, which brings the value of their property from what they originally paid for it to the price of zero dollars.
Each year you can claim 2/55ths of the purchase price for 27 years. The formula for depreciation can be much more complicated and often requires an accountant for proper calculations. It’s worth the extra work, though, due to the amount of money that can deducted. Don’t forget to deduct the cost of using your accountant either, which is also permissible when it’s related to real estate activity.
5. Insurance Premiums
If you own a rental property, you‚Äôre probably paying quite a bit for insurance. This includes flood, fire, and theft insurance, as well as certain liability insurance expenses. You might even be paying for your employees’ workers compensation and health insurance. Thankfully, all of these insurance premiums are deductible.
As you can see, there are numerous deductibles available to landlords that you can use to maximize your savings. Include these five on your list of deductibles, and you’ll be doing your rental property taxes the right way.
Please note: These articles are for informational purposes and we advise you to consult an attorney for more specific information related to your situation.