I am pretty sure this is an improvement and must be depreciated,
It's a property improvement and must be depreciated as such.
I wonder if the floating (not glue down) vinyl plank is considered “permanent”
Taking it up reduces the cost basis of the property overall. You're not gonna remove it and take it with you when you sell the property. It's permanently "a physical part of" the structure and gets capitalized and depreciated as such.
can I claim bonus depreciation on the newly installed flooring?
No. Because the flooring is a physical part of the structure, it gets classified the same as the structure as Residential Rental Real Estate and depreciated over 27.5 years. Hence, it's not eligible for bonus depreciation.
