IRS Finalizes Regulations For 100 Percent Bonus Depreciation

The Treasury Department and the Internal Revenue Service  released the last set of final regulations PDF implementing the 100% additional first year depreciation deduction that allows businesses to write off the cost of most depreciable business assets in the year they are placed in service by the business.

The 100% additional first year depreciation deduction was created in 2017 by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act and generally applies to depreciable business assets with a recovery period of 20 years or less and certain other property. Machinery, equipment, computers, appliances and furniture generally qualify.

The deduction applies to qualifying property (including used property) acquired and placed in service after September 27, 2017. The final regulations provide clarifying guidance on the requirements that must be met for property to qualify for the deduction, including used property.

Read More

IRS Finalizes Regulations For 100 Percent Bonus Depreciation

The Treasury Department and the Internal Revenue Service today released the last set of final regulations PDF implementing the 100% additional first year depreciation deduction that allows businesses to write off the cost of most depreciable business assets in the year they are placed in service by the business.

The 100% additional first year depreciation deduction was created in 2017 by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act and generally applies to depreciable business assets with a recovery period of 20 years or less and certain other property. Machinery, equipment, computers, appliances and furniture generally qualify.

The deduction applies to qualifying property (including used property) acquired and placed in service after September 27, 2017. The final regulations provide clarifying guidance on the requirements that must be met for property to qualify for the deduction, including used property.

Read More

Dynasty Trusts Are More Valuable Than Ever

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), signed into law this past December, affects more than just income taxes. It’s brought great changes to estate planning and, in doing so, bolstered the potential value of dynasty trusts.

Exemption Changes

Let’s start with the TCJA. It doesn’t repeal the estate tax, as had been discussed before its passage. The tax was retained in the final version of the law. For the estates of persons dying, and gifts made, after December 31, 2017, and before January 1, 2026, the gift and estate tax exemption and the generation-skipping transfer tax exemption amounts have been increased to an inflation-adjusted $10 million, or $20 million for married couples (expected to be $11.2 million and $22.4 million, respectively, for 2018). Read More

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) enhances some tax breaks for businesses while reducing or eliminating others. One break it enhances — temporarily — is bonus depreciation. While most TCJA provisions go into effect for the 2018 tax year, you might be able to benefit from the bonus depreciation enhancements when you file your 2017 tax return. Pre-TCJA bonus depreciation Under pre-TCJA law, for qualified new assets that your business placed in service in 2017, you can claim a 50% first-year bonus depreciation deduction. Used assets don’t qualify. This tax break is available for the cost of new computer systems, purchased software, vehicles, machinery, equipment, office furniture, etc. Read More

Thomas Zaino, Tax Connections

On December 15, 2017, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (H.R. 1) conference committee members signed and released a Conference Agreement reconciling the different tax bills passed by the U.S. House and the U.S. Senate. The U.S. Senate passed the bill on December 19, 2017, and the U.S. House passed the final version of the conference committee report on December 20, 2017. President Trump is expected to sign the bill into law.On December 15, 2017, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (H.R. 1) conference committee members signed and released a Conference Agreement reconciling the different tax bills passed by the U.S. House and the U.S. Senate. The U.S. Senate passed the bill on December 19, 2017, and the U.S. House passed the final version of the conference committee report on December 20, 2017. President Trump is expected to sign the bill into law. Read More

Bonus depreciation is just that – a bonus amount of depreciation you get to claim in the first year. Bonus depreciation allows for an extra 50% depreciation on certain assets purchased in 2013. Currently the law for bonus depreciation expires in 2014. When tax bills are brought up in Congress and tax incentives are discussed, bonus depreciation is one of the items frequently discussed so it is possible that it gets extended for 2014.

Not all business assets purchased qualify for bonus depreciation. The assets must be placed in service during the year and they must have been new. Buying a used piece of machinery would not be eligible for bonus depreciation. Also, assets must have a depreciable life of 20 years or less, so you can’t go out and buy a building then write it all off with bonus depreciation. Taking 50% depreciation in the first year can be a real tax savings Read More

One of the fifty seven federal tax provisions that expired at the end of 2013 was 50% bonus depreciation. That has been a temporary provision for several years, primarily aimed at helping economic recovery. It’s also been a generous provision (it was even 100% for a few years). With 50% bonus depreciation, a business claims depreciation on new equipment in the year it is placed in service equal to 50% of the cost plus normal depreciation on the balance. If the company was also eligible for Section 179 expensing, it would first claim $500,000 and then take 50% of the balance and then normal depreciation on the balance.

Temporary tax provisions are often renewed well after they expire. These temporary provisions all “cost” money because they result in reduced tax collections. To be extended in a revenue neutral bill, Congress has to find “offsets” – other tax increases or spending cuts. Read More

The IRS on Monday issued the 2013 inflation adjustments to the depreciation limitations and lease inclusion amounts for certain automobiles under Sec. 280F (Rev. Proc. 2013-21).

For passenger automobiles (other than trucks or vans) placed in service during calendar year 2013 to which 50% first-year bonus depreciation applies, the depreciation limit under Sec. 280F(d)(7) is $11,160 for the first tax year.  Trucks and vans to which bonus depreciation applies have a slightly higher limit: $11,360 for the first tax year.

For passenger automobiles (other than trucks or vans) placed in service during calendar year 2013 to which bonus depreciation does not apply, the depreciation limit under Sec. 280F(d)(7) is $3,160 for the first tax year.  For trucks and vans to which bonus depreciation does not apply, the limit is $3,360 for the first tax year.

Bonus depreciation does not affect the limits after the first year.  For passenger automobiles, the limits are $5,100 for the second tax year; $3,050 for the third tax year; and $1,875 for each successive tax year.  For trucks and vans the limits are $5,400 for the second tax year; $3,250 for the third tax year; and $1,975 for each successive tax year.

Sec. 280F(c) limits deductions for the cost of leasing automobiles, expressed as an income inclusion amount according to a formula and tables prescribed under Regs. Sec. 1.280F-7.  The revenue procedure provides an updated table of the amounts to be included in income by lessees of passenger automobiles and another for trucks and vans, in both cases with lease terms that begin in calendar year 2013.

By Sally P. Schreiber – Journal of Accountancy Senior Editor, February 25, 2013

Edited and posted by Harold Goedde CPA, CMA, Ph.D. (taxation and accounting)

CIRCULAR 230 DISCLOSURE:  Pursuant to regulations governing practice before the IRS, any tax advice contained herein is not intended or written to be used and cannot be used by the taxpayer for the purpose of avoiding tax penalties that may be imposed on the taxpayer.