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Get your taxes done using TurboTax
Hello and congratulations on your new venture!
If you rent your home (or a portion of your home) for more than 14 days during the year, you are required to include the income and allowable expenses on your tax return. You are encouraged to keep detailed records of your rental periods and the associated income. As well, you should keep records of all the ordinary and necessary expenses of providing your home for rent. TurboTax will guide you through how to make necessary entries on your return.
TurboTax will ask you questions about your rental activity to help determine where it belongs on your return. In most cases, rental activity is recorded on Schedule E: Supplemental Income and Loss. Schedule E will help you to calculate the net profit. You only pay taxes on the income minus the expenses for the activity, so keep good records!
However, there is a difference if you provide substantial additional services to your guests, like in-room coffee, maid service, transportation etc. When you are providing those services you are considered to be running a business. This activity is then reported on Schedule C: Profit or Loss from Business. This income is considered earned income and is subject to self-employment tax of 15.3%, so consider that as you are setting up your business.
You don't need a DBA to file the taxes for your rental activity. In most cases, if you are the sole owner of the business, you can include the activity directly on your personal tax return (Sch E or Sch C as above). If you have partners or have formed a corporation, this may require a separate business tax return. You can find more information about those filing requirements here:
Here is an article with tax tips for short-term renters that you should find helpful:
All the best,
jscottjr_CPA
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