Taxes & Accounting
Deductions, basis, Schedule E, and staying audit-ready.
Year-End Tax Document Checklist for Landlords (2026)
A short year-end tax document checklist lets you hand your CPA clean records in January instead of playing phone-tag in March.
Collect W-9s Before You Pay — Not in January
Collecting a W-9 before you pay a vendor prevents the January scramble to file 1099s — here's the four-step routine that keeps you compliant.
Which Rental Utilities Are Tax Deductible in 2026?
Utilities you pay on a rental property are fully deductible — but only if you're the one writing the check and the property is held for rent.
Travel Expenses to Your Rental — What's Deductible in 2026?
Trips to your rental can be deductible if the primary purpose is business — IRS rules hinge on purpose, documentation, and which costs you claim.
Are Tenant Screening Costs Tax Deductible? 2026 Guide
Tenant screening costs — credit checks, background reports, eviction searches — are ordinary rental expenses. Application fees you charge are income.
Tax Extension — What It Doesn't Extend (2026)
A tax extension moves your filing deadline to October, but you still owe estimated tax by April — here's what changes and what doesn't.
Startup Costs for Your First Rental — IRS Rules Explained
The IRS treats startup costs before your first rental is placed in service differently than ongoing expenses — a specific deduction amount applies, then amortization.
Are Software Subscriptions Deductible for Landlords?
Software and subscription costs used to run your rentals are generally deductible as ordinary business expenses on Schedule E.
STR Material Participation — 7 Tests That Make Rentals Non-Passive
Short-term rentals with average stays of seven days or less can escape passive-activity treatment if you meet one of seven IRS material-participation tests.
How to Turn a Shoebox of Receipts Into a Filed Schedule E
A four-step process — sort, enter, reconcile, export — turns a year of scattered receipts into clean Schedule E totals ready for your tax preparer or software.
Should I Open a Separate Bank Account for My Rental Property?
A dedicated rental checking account cuts Schedule E prep time in half and creates a clean audit trail for every dollar in and out of the property.
Schedule E vs Schedule C for Rentals — Which Form Do You File?
Most rentals report on Schedule E, but short-term rentals with substantial services belong on Schedule C — and the self-employment tax bill changes with the form.
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