Worked example · Commercial

Cost segregation on a $2M Commercial reclassifies $285,000 into accelerated depreciation.

Engineering-based study using industry-standard 2026 construction cost data and IRS Audit Techniques Guide methodology. Numbers below are computed from the same formula our production studies use — adjust for your actual property with the calculator at the bottom.

Accelerated depreciation
$285,000
19% of $1,500,000 basis
Year-1 federal tax savings
$105,450
at 37% marginal bracket
Return on study cost
32×
study fee $3,295
MACRS class breakdown

How the $285,000 splits across 5-, 7-, and 15-year property.

These percentages are illustrative for a commercial of this size and age. Your study reports component-level detail so your CPA can place each item on the correct depreciation schedule.

45%
15%
40%

5-year property

$128,250

Personal property: appliances, carpet, FF&E, decorative finishes. Fully bonus-eligible at 100% under OBBBA (2025+).

7-year property

$42,750

Office furniture, certain equipment, specialty fixtures. Also bonus-eligible.

15-year property

$114,000

Land improvements: driveways, fencing, landscaping, site lighting. Bonus-eligible.

Year-1 deduction comparison

Without a study vs. with one.

Standard depreciation
1,500,000 ÷ 39 years
$38,462
Year-1 deduction (no study)
With cost seg + 100% bonus
5/7/15-yr accelerated
$285,000
Year-1 deduction
Difference
+$246,538 pulled forward into Year 1

At a 37% federal bracket, that's $105,450 in cash you keep instead of paying — a 32× return on the $3,295 study. Run it on your actual property below.

What $285,000 is worth to you

The $2M commercial at four federal brackets.

The headline figure assumes the top 37% bracket. Most owners are not in it, so here is the same $285,000 Year-1 deduction valued at other federal rates, before and after the $3,295 study fee. State income tax comes on top where your state conforms to federal bonus depreciation.

Federal bracketYear-1 tax valueAfter the $3,295 fee
24%$68,400$65,105
32%$91,200$87,905
35%$99,750$96,455
37%$105,450$102,155

A $2M purchase price falls in the $1M–$3M band of our Standard Commercial pricing, a flat $3,295. At $3,000,000 and above the next band applies ($4,995). See the full pricing table.

The first five years

Depreciation on a $1,500,000 basis, with and without the study.

The Year-1 reclassification of $285,000 equals about 7.4 years of standard 39-year depreciation on this property. After Year 1 the study's annual deduction is smaller, because the reclassified $285,000 has already been taken and only the $1,215,000 remaining building basis is still depreciating. Full years shown; the purchase year is shorter under the mid-month convention.

YearNo studyWith studyCumulative extra deduction
Year 1$38,462$316,154$277,692
Year 2$38,462$31,154$270,385
Year 3$38,462$31,154$263,077
Year 4$38,462$31,154$255,769
Year 5$38,462$31,154$248,462

The cumulative gap narrows by $7,308 a year and closes over the recovery period; cost segregation changes when you deduct, not how much. Depreciation taken is generally recaptured on a taxable sale.

Nearby examples
Run your numbers

Your property is probably not exactly $2M.

Plug in your actual purchase price, property type, age, and finish level on the homepage calculator. It uses the same engine — no signup, results in 60 seconds.

If the math works for your property

Order your cost segregation study for $3,295.

40+ page engineering-based PDF · delivered in 1–2 business days · CPA-Ready Guarantee