Rental Property Deductions Will Help Expats Save Money on Taxes.

Many Americans who reside overseas chose to rent out their homes in the United States. It can be a good source of income and helps you to keep your US home if you ever wish to return. However, you must keep meticulous records of your income and expenditures so any income (or loss) must be reported on your US expat tax return. We'll look at the additional form you'll need to fill out and what expenditures you may be able to deduct (or not!). villa

E (Schedule)

Schedule E, Supplemental Income and Loss, is used to record both rental income and expenditures. You'll be happily surprised to receive a neat, tidy statement of all your profits and related expenses at the end of the tax year if you hired a management firm to take care of your rental property operations. Unfortunately, management firms can be costly, so many expats prefer to handle their assets themselves. It is your responsibility to keep correct, thorough records of anything related to the property in this situation. You may want to think about using rental property management tools like Quicken Rental Property Manager to help you stay organized. However, a simple Excel spreadsheet can be used to keep track of anything.

Schedule E allows you to list up to three rental properties. You'll enter your rental revenue and expenditures, as well as your estimated depreciation cost, which is sometimes ignored. You begin depreciating your home over a 27 12 year period the day you start renting it. The lesser of the property's fair market value or the modified basis determines how much you depreciate (or 'basis') (which is typically calculated as your purchase price, adjusted for any improvements you made).

Expenses That Are Tax Deductible

There are a number of costs that can be deducted to reduce the US tax obligation on the rental property.

Starting a business Charges

There are often associated start-up costs when setting up your rental for business. Fortunately, you can subtract up to $5000 in such expenses in the first year of renting, according to the IRS. If the startup costs reach $5000, you can capitalize and subtract the remaining costs for the next 15 years. Expenses related to startup costs include:

Premiums for insurance

Prior to renting, there will be maintenance expenses.

Repairs that are minor (to get the property ready to rent, not improvements that increase the value of the property)

Permits, licenses, and registrations

Professional costs (such as legal fees) incurred in forming a corporate company are deductible.

Reparations

You will subtract any renovations you make to get the property back to its original condition on your expat tax return. Repairs are distinct from upgrades, which are'repairs' that enhance the property's value and extend its life. So, if you repaired a leaky roof on your home, you have simply returned the roof to its original condition, which is a deductible repair. However, if you need to repair the whole roof, this is a capital improvement (because it extends the property's life) that must be capitalized and depreciated over 27 12 years and is not deductible against rental income.

Fees for Management

You will subtract any expenses charged to a company that manages your property from your expat tax return if you hired them to do so.

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The interest charged on a mortgage used to buy or upgrade a rental property may be deducted. This is without a doubt one of the strongest tax advantages of buying a home in the United States. Note that if the property is owned together, only the investor who is legally liable for the payment will subtract the interest.

Office of the President

You will subtract a portion of your home expenses if you use a home office solely to handle the day-to-day activities of your rental house, depending on the square footage of the office and your home. You should subtract the following home office expenses:

Interest on your rent or mortgage

Utility services

Internet Insurance Taxes

 

Traveling

Any of the costs you paid while returning to the United States to buy your rental property are deductible. The following costs will be capitalized with the purchase price of the property and depreciated for a period of 27 12 years:

Airfare, meals, and lodging are all included in the price of the trip.

The only travel costs that can be deducted in full are those that are specifically related to property management. You will only subtract expenses accrued on those 4 days if you return to the United States and spend 4 days working on the property and 3 days visiting with relatives (i.e. 57 percent of your total travel costs).

There are a few expenditures that you might believe are deductible, but they aren't. Any time spent working on the property for personal gain is called 'personal labor,' and is not deductible. Contributions to charity, country club dues, and federal income taxes are also prohibited. The expenses discussed in this article are by no means exhaustive of all the costs you'll face as a property owner. If you have any concerns about your spending, you can consult a tax professional who will help you find all of the potential deductions that could lower your taxable income while still ensuring you aren't taking any that the IRS prohibits.