Investors & landlords

The requirements are different for personal property vs real property. It's one of those tax issues. It's important to separate the personal property (anything that is not real property in tax terms) from real property.  In the tax law there are only two kinds of property.  

1. Real Property (anything that is land, buildings and structural components)
2. Personal Property - Two Types
   1. Tangible - anything you can see, feel or touch
   2. Intangible - in and of itself it has no value but represents a value (a dollar bill or a stock certificate, etc)

The reason is simple.  Real property has special tax treatment rules and personal property income is taxed at the ordinary or regular tax rate.

Improvements Election

This election is an option you can take each year that lets you write off some building improvements as expenses instead of assets.

Here are the rules you need to meet to take this election:

• Your gross receipts, including all your other income, are $10,000,000 or less.
• Your eligible building has an unadjusted basis of $1,000,000 or less.
• The cost of all repairs, maintenance and improvements is less than or equal to the smallest of these limits: 
  • 2% of the unadjusted basis of your building or
  • $10,000

This election for building improvements is called the Safe Harbor Election for Small Taxpayers. If you decide to take this option, a form called Safe Harbor Election for Small Taxpayers will show up in your tax return. This election will apply to all your businesses, rental properties or farms. (IRS Tangible Property FAQs)

1. When you come to the screen, Did you buy any items that each cost $2,500 or less in 2021? mark the Yes button and click Continue. 
2. On the screen Let's see if you qualify to deduct these items as expenses, mark both of the Yes buttons and click Continue.
3. On the Now, let's review each item you bought screen, mark whether all your new assets cost $2500 or less. 
4. If you mark that every item cost $2,500 or less, you will be brought to the Rental Summary screen.  You have elected the De Minimis Safe Harbor provision. 
5. If you mark that some cost above $2,500, you will be asked Did you make improvements to rental in 2021?
6. If you say Yes, you will be taken through the screens for the Improvements election.
7. If you say No, you will see the screen Do you have any items that aren't covered by your elections?  Proceed through the screens to enter these assets. 
8. On the Rental Summary screen go to the Expenses section and click on the Start/Update box. 
9. Continue to the Any Other Expenses? screen and enter the description and amount paid for the assets. Click Continue when finished
10. Continue to complete your entries

Personal Property: (As explained by our awesome Tax Expert @JulieS)

You expense the furniture in the year they are placed in service, based on your comments that will be 2021.  The rental unit is rented or available for rent and advertised as such.

De Minimis Safe Harbor Election

This election for items $2,500 or less is called the De Minimis Safe Harbor Election. This election is an option you can take each year that lets you write off/deduct items $2,500 or less as expenses instead of assets. Expenses typically reduce your income by a larger amount than depreciating an asset over multiple years does. This means you could get a bigger refund.

If you decide to take this option, a form called De Minimis Safe Harbor Election will show up in your tax return. This election will apply to all your businesses, rental properties or farms.

Here are the rules you need to meet to take this election:

• You don't have an applicable financial statement (most people don't).
• You have a consistent process for how you record expenses and assets.
• You record these items as expenses on your books/records.
• The cost of each item as shown on your receipt is $2,500 or less.
• Rental Property select Edit > Other expenses > Other Miscellaneous Expenses
• Enter Description (Safe Harbor ...) and amount (not entered as assets under this election)

Note:  Because you are under the $2,500 threshold, you are not required to used section 179.  You can list these expenses under Miscellaneous.  If the amount was over 2,500, then you would enter these as assets and then would be able to choose the 179 option.

• Maintain a complete record with your tax return should you need to verify these items at a later time.