I own a duplex rental. I don't think Sec 179 depreciation applies to a new roof for it but Turbo tax is applying sec 179 to it. Am I wrong about 179?

[pstubban]

Should a new roof on a residential rental (duplex) receive Sec 179 depreciation?

[Anonymous_]

In which section did you enter the new roof and in which category? The new roof should have been entered in the Assets/Depreciation section as Residential Rental Real Estate (which has a recovery period of 27.5 years).

Also, do not confuse the special depreciation allowance (bonus depreciation) with Section 179.

[pstubban]

I was double checking my sons taxes for him.  I did know that 179 didn't apply and knew depreciation was 27.5 years.  I was trying to help him understand what went wrong with how he was doing it.

He did enter in the Assets/Depreciation section.  It wasn't bonus depreciation.  It is  an actual new roof (not re-shingle etc) and doesn't qualify for (it was $11,000.)We identified it as multi-family rental real estate which shouldn't be commercial.  I walked through all of the steps and came up with the same Turbo response--Sec 179.

He is using the "Self Employed" Turbo  Tax--could it assume it is commercial (as in industrial type) real estate due the "self employed" designation?

I want to understand this for  future reference--In this instance I knew enough to question it, but that may not always be the case...

[Critter-3]

Did you enter it in the Sch C section instead of the Sch E section by mistake ???   

[pstubban]

No--But that would be a reasonable thing to double check.  It's schedule E.

I'm using the "Self Employed" version of turbotax.  Could it be assuming it's an actual commercial (industrial) property?  Someone else said a roof needs to be entered as "residential real estate" under the expense/depreciation--as if it's a whole new piece of residential real estate??   This doesn't seem very intuitive, but you do get the correct depreciation that way.  That's how I ended up forcing it into the correct 27.5 year depreciation.