The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) introduced Qualified Production Property (QPP), a new category of real estate eligible for 100% bonus depreciation under IRC §168(n). QPP refers to nonresidential real property that is constructed or acquired after January 19, 2025, placed in service before January 1, 2031, and used directly in a qualified production activity....
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act of 2025 (OBBBA) marks a major overhaul of federal tax policy, terminating or reshaping several high-impact incentives related to real estate, clean energy, and business investment. The legislation ends the §45L Energy Efficient Home Credit for homes sold or leased after June 30, 2026, and phases out the §45X Advanced Manufacturing Credit for wind components and certain critical minerals. It also accelerates the phaseout of the §48E Clean Electricity Investment Tax Credit, establishing hard cutoffs for project eligibility....
With the passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), 100% bonus depreciation was made permanent for qualified property placed in service after January 19, 2025. This legislative change significantly enhances the value of cost segregation, a proven tax strategy that accelerates depreciation deductions by identifying and reclassifying building components into shorter recovery periods—typically 5, 7, or 15 years—instead of the standard 27.5 or 39 years. By front-loading depreciation, cost segregation can substantially improve cash flow and reduce tax liability in the early years of property ownership....
When converting personal property to investment use, taxpayers must maintain clear documentation of both the original cost and the fair market value at the time of conversion. This documentation is crucial for supporting depreciation deductions and avoiding IRS challenges. In Sherman Derell Smith v. Commissioner, T.C. Memo. 2025-24 (March 24, 2025), the U.S. Tax Court ruled against the taxpayer, who had disputed the IRS’s denial of a depreciation deduction for a rental property on his 2018 federal income tax return. The court found that Smith failed to establish a proper depreciable basis under IRC §167 and Treas. Reg. §1.167(g)-1. This case underscores the importance of maintaining accurate records when transitioning personal property to investment use....
President Donald Trump signaled a strong commitment to reinstating full bonus depreciation under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), a provision currently set to phase out by the end of 2026. The reinstatement, according to Trump, would be made retroactively to January 20, 2025. If implemented, this move would have significant implications for real estate investors, making cost segregation studies even more valuable in maximizing tax benefits....
A partial disposition occurs when a taxpayer disposes of a portion of an asset rather than the entire asset. This can happen during renovations or improvements when parts of the building are replaced or retired. For example, a taxpayer upgrading to energy-efficient LED lighting, installing a new HVAC system, replacing an aging roof, or demolishing old tenant improvements can elect a partial disposition to write off the remaining value of the removed assets in the year of disposal....
Join our exclusive webinar where Laura Steinbrink from Emerald Built Environments hosts an insightful discussion with Alex Bagne, Jason Puffenbarger, and Noe Montalvo from ICS Tax. Topics include: Federal tax incentives (179D, 45L, Cost Segregation, renewable energy tax credit), utility rebates, opportunity zones. How to layer incentives together to maximize benefit....
In an interview by Arda Bircan from STR Tax Loophole, Alex Bagne, President of ICS, explains how savvy investors combine cost segregation with the short-term rental loophole to minimize income taxes, grow a real estate portfolio, and build generational wealth. He discusses a real-life scenario in which a successful C-level executive earning $500K annually from his job buys a $1 million-dollar short-term rental property to produce income, and then has a cost segregation performed to generate huge tax deductions that significantly reduce his tax liabilities....
The short-term rental loophole allows investors in vacation homes and similar properties to offset wage income with accelerated tax deductions generated by cost segregation studies. The article titled "Expanding the Short-Term Rental Loophole with Cost Segregation," co-written by Alex Bagne, President of ICS, details the mechanics of this beneficial tax strategy....
The American Society of Cost Segregation Professionals (ASCSP) just concluded its annual conference in Washington, DC. ICS Tax, LLC sent three of its cost segregation professionals, Alex Bagne, Roel Vicerra and Luis Barreira to stay abreast of developments within this ever changing industry. Alex Bagne, a Certified Cost Segregation Professional (CCSP) and the past ASCSP President, lead several sessions which covered the Alternative Depreciation System, updates to the 179D commercial and 45L residential energy efficiency incentives, and an Anatomy of a Cost Segregation Audit. He also reprised his role of Alex “TreBagne” and hosted Cost Segregation Jeopardy....