When you claim a Section 179 deduction, you’re choosing to take the full depreciation amount right away. The IRS still needs you to track the vehicle’s business use for the next five years—the recove...
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When you claim a Section 179 deduction, you’re choosing to take the full depreciation amount right away. The IRS still needs you to track the vehicle’s business use for the next five years—the recovery period—to make sure a recapture isn’t triggered. Here is why TurboTax is asking for that percentage and how to handle it: 1. Why TurboTax is still asking Even though there is $0 left to depreciate, the software needs your annual mileage to: Verify "Qualified Business Use": If your farm use drops to 50% or less, you may have to "give back" some of that tax break from last year (this is the Section 179 Recapture). Deduct Actual Expenses: If you aren't using the Standard Mileage Rate, the software needs your percentage to calculate how much of your gas, insurance, and repairs can be deducted this year. 2. How to fix the “Double Depreciation” issue, if it exists If TurboTax is showing a new depreciation deduction for this year (reducing your income further), it’s likely because the "Prior Year Depreciation" wasn't imported or entered correctly. Check the Asset Summary: Go to the Business Assets section. Edit the Vehicle: Look for the field "Prior Year Depreciation" or "Prior Section 179." If you bought the truck for $50,000 and took $50,000 in Section 179 last year, your Prior Year Depreciation must be $50,000. If that field is $0, TurboTax thinks the vehicle still has "basis" left and will try to depreciate it again. Manually update the Prior Year Depreciation to equal the full amount you claimed last year if that field says "0" or less than $50,000.