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IncentTax

Service · 01

Cost Segregation,
engineered to the dollar.

An IRS-sanctioned strategy that reclassifies 20–35% of a building's basis from 39-year property into 5, 7, and 15-year property — unlocking accelerated and bonus depreciation in year one.

$50K – $500K+
Typical first-year savings range
100% Bonus
Restored by OBBBA — permanent for 2025+
Audit Defense
Included with every engagement

The fundamentals

Three concepts you should master before signing a closing statement.

Depreciation

The IRS lets you deduct the cost of an income-producing property over its useful life. Residential rental: 27.5 years. Commercial: 39 years. Spread evenly, year by year.

Accelerated Depreciation

Some property components have a shorter useful life: 5 years (furniture, fixtures), 7 years (machinery), 15 years (land improvements). Deducting these on a faster schedule front-loads cash savings.

Cost Segregation

An engineering-based study that breaks a single building purchase into its components — identifying every piece eligible for shorter-life accelerated depreciation. The result: 20–35% of basis moves out of 39-year property.

Tax liability reduction

Real numbers on a real building.

Sample: a $2.5M multifamily property placed in service in 2025 — under the OBBBA's permanent 100% bonus depreciation.

Purchase Price$2,500,000
Less: Land (20%)– $500,000
Depreciable Basis$2,000,000
Reclassified to 5/7-yr (~22%)$440,000
Reclassified to 15-yr (~10%)$200,000
Total Reclassified$640,000
2025 Bonus Depreciation (100% — OBBBA)$640,000
Combined Tax Rate (37% Fed + 5% State)42%
Estimated Year-One Cash Savings$268,800

Cash that was going to the IRS — redirected to your balance sheet.

Cost segregation doesn't reduce your total depreciation — it accelerates it. You take more in year one (and the next several), less in years 10+. The time value of that cash is massive.

Investors typically reinvest the freed cash into the next acquisition, debt reduction, or capital improvements — compounding the IRR of the underlying portfolio.

  • Down payment on the next deal
  • Principal paydown on existing debt
  • Capital improvements / value-add
  • Distributions to LPs

Bonus depreciation schedule

OBBBA changed everything. 100% bonus is back — permanently.

2017
50%
2018
100%
2019
100%
2020
100%
2021
100%
2022
100%
2023
80%
2024
60%
2025
100%
2026
100%
2027
100%

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), signed in July 2025, permanently restored 100% bonus depreciation for qualified property placed in service in 2025 and beyond. The 80%/60% rates from 2023–2024 remain in effect for those years. Bonus depreciation applies to qualifying short-life property (5/7/15-year) identified through cost segregation.

Industries that qualify

If your building generates income, it probably qualifies.

Office Buildings
Retail Centers
Manufacturing
Warehouse & Distribution
Hotels & Hospitality
Multifamily / Apartments
Medical & Dental
Education
Restaurants
Airports & Aviation
Auto Dealerships & Service
Laboratories
Self-Storage
Professional Offices
Data Centers
Mixed-Use Properties

Who qualifies

Five investor profiles that benefit most.

Short-Term Rentals (STR)
Airbnb, VRBO, and other STR properties used <7 days average stay can qualify for material participation, unlocking deductions against active income.
Long-Term Rentals
Single-family rentals, duplexes, and small portfolios held for passive income — accelerates depreciation against rental income.
Multifamily
5+ unit apartment buildings often see the largest dollar impact — 25–35% of basis frequently reclassifies into 5/7/15-year property.
Commercial Building Owners
Office, retail, industrial, medical — any non-residential income property with depreciable basis above ~$500K.
Portfolios
Real estate funds, family offices, and PE — portfolio-wide rollouts with consolidated reporting and pricing.

Our 5-step process

How cost segregation works — and how our team supports you.

  1. 01
    Free Preliminary Review

    We model expected savings at no cost. If the math doesn't comfortably exceed the fee, we tell you up front.

  2. 02
    Detailed Engineering Report

    Our engineers analyze blueprints, invoices, and site data. We walk the property, identify every reclassifiable component, and build a defensible asset schedule.

  3. 03
    Report Delivery

    You receive a complete engineering report documenting every reclassified asset with photos, citations, and depreciation tables — audit-ready.

  4. 04
    CPA Coordination

    We work directly with your CPA or accountant — handing them everything they need to apply the deductions on your return.

  5. 05
    Form 3115 In-House

    For look-back studies, we prepare and file Form 3115 in-house — no amended returns required, and the catch-up deduction lands in a single year.

Case studies

Four properties. Four real outcomes.

Case · 01
Multifamily — 240 units
$28.4M · placed 2023
Year-1 Savings
$2,140,000

First-year accelerated depreciation against active K-1 income.

Case · 02
Industrial / Manufacturing
$12.0M · placed 2024
Year-1 Savings
$1,025,000

Reclassified mechanical, electrical, and process equipment.

Case · 03
Short-Term Rental Portfolio (8 homes)
$6.8M · placed 2024
Year-1 Savings
$612,000

Owner qualified as material participant — offset W-2 income.

Case · 04
Office Tower
$45.0M · placed 2022
Year-1 Savings
$3,950,000

Look-back study; catch-up deduction filed via Form 3115.

FAQ

Have questions? We've answered them.

Pricing, timing, audits, recapture, the short-term rental loophole, working with your CPA — it's all covered in our FAQ library in the Knowledge Center.

Free preliminary review. Zero obligation.

Send us a closing statement or 1098. We'll model your savings and reply within one business day.

Request Free Review
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IncentTax

Engineering-based cost segregation and R&D tax credit studies for real estate investors, business owners, private equity firms, and the CPAs who serve them.

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IncentTax is a tax engineering firm; we deliver studies and reports. We do not provide legal, accounting, or tax advice. Engage your CPA and counsel before filing.