What method and life is used to depreciate a commercial mower ($13,000) I purchased to service rental properties

[doinmyown-18]

Purchased a commercial mower on 6/8/18. What method and life span do I use? Total cost was $13,268.

[Ashby · Accepted solution]

The default tax method of depreciation for equipment is MACRS.

The useful life of a mower is 7 years. This is not straight line though as MACRS front loads depreciation.

However, you can use bonus depreciation this year and expense 100% of the purchase. That's up to you and what fits your needs best.

[Abracadebra]

So with our $8000 zero-turn mower used for 12 rental properties, do I divide the cost by 12 and report each share per rental?

[AnnetteB6]

You could do that and enter the mower as an Asset for depreciation under each property, using 1/12 of the cost for each entry.

You could also choose to report the mower under a single property using the full cost of the mower, assuming it is used 100% for your rental properties.  Just be sure to choose a property that you expect to keep for the next 7 years so that the mower can be fully depreciated.  

@Abracadebra