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Understanding the nuances of cost segregation can be a bit confusing. We've put together a handful of questions we get a lot to help.
Most accountants depreciate equipment and other visible costs (such as parking lots and carpeting) at 5, 7 or 15 years. CATS's cost segregation specialists are able to identify costs that can’t be readily seen, such as the wiring and plumbing needed to run equipment. We have found that our process results in identifying costs that can be reclassified as 5-year, 7-year and 15-year recovery periods that typically exceed 200 percent to 500 percent of what an accountant alone can capture.
Yes, but it will take 27.5 or 39 years and you will miss the benefit of having the additional cash flow to invest in your business now. With a cost segregation study, it is not unusual to generate $50,000-$200,000 of additional cash flow that is available to re-invest however you choose. The benefit will depend on the building complexity as well as the cost of the building.
Usually not. However, there are special rules that may apply in this situation and we can help you navigate those specific tax laws.
No. You only need to file IRS Form 3115 (Change of Accounting Method) that allows you to take the “catch-up” depreciation in the year you wish to apply the study. We can assist your CPA in completing this form and will provide the appropriate supporting schedules.
In all of our projects, we prepare an initial detailed no-cost analysis to determine the benefits of doing a study. From this analysis, we determine the cost of the study and then you can make a final decision whether a study would be beneficial to you. The study fee is 100 percent deductible and, from our experience, the benefit will be three to up to 25 times the cost of the study.
Contact CATS today at [email protected] or call 219.808.7532 to request your no-cost estimate.
No. Using a CSS is encouraged by the IRS on all CRE property and does not raise a red flag to the IRS. In addition, CATS’s methodology is bullet-proof in the unlikely event of an IRS audit. Should you experience an audit, CATS provides lifetime defense of our study at no added cost.
Depending on building type and use, owners will typically realize between 18% and 48% of improvement values in tax benefit. Some special use properties; like manufacturing, data centers, and greenhouses, can deliver even higher tax benefits.
The best time to have a CSS Study is now. Whether recently acquired, constructed or you have owned your property for 5-12 years, you are entitled to these federal tax benefits. Many people believe that cost segregation only works in the tax year built or acquired or improved. Though our ‘Look Back’ study can reclaim valuable unused tax benefits on a property you may have depreciated in a straight-line method for years, without having to amend past years tax filings.
Probably not, or at least not with the appropriate level of engineered detail to defend in the event of an IRS audit. CPA’s are not engineers, or aware of all the engineered aspects of a Cost Segregation Study, and while they can identify residual numbers and provide tax benefit, though this approach is usually not backed with asset detail. Many CPA’s choose to partner with CATS, for this reason, to have a bullet-proof report and the asset management detail for any future abandonment and disposition needs.