Worked example · Multifamily (5+)

Cost segregation on a $2M Multifamily (5+) reclassifies $318,400 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
$318,400
20% of $1,600,000 basis
Year-1 federal tax savings
$117,808
at 37% marginal bracket
Return on study cost
33×
study fee $3,595
MACRS class breakdown

How the $318,400 splits across 5-, 7-, and 15-year property.

These percentages are illustrative for a multifamily (5+) of this size and age. Your study reports component-level detail so your CPA can place each item on the correct depreciation schedule.

50%
12%
38%

5-year property

$159,200

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

7-year property

$38,208

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

15-year property

$120,992

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

Year-1 deduction comparison

Without a study vs. with one.

Standard depreciation
1,600,000 ÷ 27.5 years
$58,182
Year-1 deduction (no study)
With cost seg + 100% bonus
5/7/15-yr accelerated
$318,400
Year-1 deduction
Difference
+$260,218 pulled forward into Year 1

At a 37% federal bracket, that's $117,808 in cash you keep instead of paying — a 33× return on the $3,595 study. Run it on your actual property below.

What $318,400 is worth to you

The $2M multifamily (5+) at four federal brackets.

The headline figure assumes the top 37% bracket. Most owners are not in it, so here is the same $318,400 Year-1 deduction valued at other federal rates, before and after the $3,595 study fee. State income tax comes on top where your state conforms to federal bonus depreciation.

Federal bracketYear-1 tax valueAfter the $3,595 fee
24%$76,416$72,821
32%$101,888$98,293
35%$111,440$107,845
37%$117,808$114,213

A $2M purchase price falls in the $1M–$3M band of our Multifamily 5+ pricing, a flat $3,595. At $3,000,000 and above the next band applies ($5,995). See the full pricing table.

The first five years

Depreciation on a $1,600,000 basis, with and without the study.

The Year-1 reclassification of $318,400 equals about 5.5 years of standard 27.5-year depreciation on this property. After Year 1 the study's annual deduction is smaller, because the reclassified $318,400 has already been taken and only the $1,281,600 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$58,182$365,004$306,822
Year 2$58,182$46,604$295,244
Year 3$58,182$46,604$283,665
Year 4$58,182$46,604$272,087
Year 5$58,182$46,604$260,509

The cumulative gap narrows by $11,578 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
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