Need a little more clarification please because I'm confused by a statement about travel expenses in Pub 527, as given below, which seems to exclude travel expense deductions when the primary purpose of the travel is for improvements. Are you saying that the travel is still a deductible expense on the basis that I was 'managing' the property by being present during the renovations?
Page 4 of Publication 527
Travel expenses. You can deduct the ordinary
and necessary expenses of traveling away
from home if the primary purpose of the trip is to
collect rental income or to manage, conserve,
or maintain your rental property. You must properly
allocate your expenses between rental and
nonrental activities. You can’t deduct the cost of
traveling away from home if the primary purpose
of the trip is to improve the property. The
cost of improvements is recovered by taking
depreciation. For information on travel expenses,
see chapter 1 of Pub. 463.
