Are de minimis safe harbor election items tracked for eventual disposal, like capital items are?

[reluctant-taxman]

Capital items even where Sec179 was used, are tracked until their eventual disposal, and one has to account for what happens to these and pay tax or not accordingly at their disposal.   

If one instead claims what would formerly be capital items as "other expenses" , using the de minimus safe harbor amounts, do these items also get tracked  to their eventual disposal?  How?   

[ToddL]

No, items expensed under the de  minimus safe harbor provision do not get tracked to their eventual disposal.

In order to track an item (asset) for purposes of calculating any gain (loss) on disposal, it has to be entered as an "asset" in the "Business Assets" section of "Your Business".

Should you ever dispose of (i.e. sell) an item expensed under the de minimus safe harbor provision, you would be responsible for reporting any gain on sale. Its adjusted cost basis would be zero ("0"), so there wouldn't be any loss on disposal.

[reluctant-taxman]

Would I track the expensing and eventual disposal of such items as assets in my accounting software as if they were capital items?

[ToddL]

You could, if you wanted to. The major (maybe the only) reason for the de minimus safe harbor provision was to simplify record-keeping requirements.

[ToddL]

I hope that explanation helps...

[reluctant-taxman]

Thank you yes it helps, but it leads to the question of if there is a difference in accountability to the IRS for capital items disposed vs. expensed items disposed where both have some residual value.  If a capital item is "converted to personal property" at its disposal, does the item get defined  like "section 12xx property" somewhere?   If one disposes of any item by converting it to personal property, then later sells it, how is the gain reported?

[ToddL]

Again, the purpose of the de minimus provision is to simplify record-keeping and tax reporting requirements. The government knew it was foregoing potential tax revenue by allowing businesses to keep these assets "off the books", but determined the compliance costs (to IRS and businesses) outweighed whatever tax revenue they are not going to get.

Keep in mind, you don't have to make the de minimus election; you can capitalize and depreciate any business asset you want to.

[reluctant-taxman]

Thanks.  In this context what is this  "having a written accounting procedure in place" about, how does it pertain to my small schedule C business?   Is it satisfactory that I make a notation in my Quickbooks company information that starting Jan 1 2015 items under $2500 will be expensed?

[ToddL]

Thanks for the citation!

[ToddL]

Yes, a notation in your Quickbooks company information (or "corporate minutes")  should satisfy the requirement to "have a written accounting procedure in place"

[reluctant-taxman]

Thanks again.  I can't find anything regarding the de minimus anywhere in my Turbotax home and business program.  I answered yes to the several questions about all purchases under $2500 in easy step, and after that the program told me to put them in "other expenses" line of Schedule C, and then went on to my current asset listing with ability to add these as assets.   I don't see what answering the questions about <2500 did in the program.  No extra form or any result as I can see.  Also in searching the easy step topics there's nothing under "safe" "harbor" minims, etc.  Should I see a result somewhere?

[reluctant-taxman]

Never mind, sorry, I found it.  Form "Section 1.263(a)-1(f) is generated.