Worked example · Multifamily (5+)

Cost segregation on a $3M Multifamily (5+) reclassifies $477,600 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
$477,600
20% of $2,400,000 basis
Year-1 federal tax savings
$176,712
at 37% marginal bracket
Return on study cost
29×
study fee $5,995
MACRS class breakdown

How the $477,600 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

$238,800

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

7-year property

$57,312

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

15-year property

$181,488

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

Year-1 deduction comparison

Without a study vs. with one.

Standard depreciation
2,400,000 ÷ 27.5 years
$87,273
Year-1 deduction (no study)
With cost seg + 100% bonus
5/7/15-yr accelerated
$477,600
Year-1 deduction
Difference
+$390,327 pulled forward into Year 1

At a 37% federal bracket, that's $176,712 in cash you keep instead of paying — a 29× return on the $5,995 study. Run it on your actual property below.

What $477,600 is worth to you

The $3M 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 $477,600 Year-1 deduction valued at other federal rates, before and after the $5,995 study fee. State income tax comes on top where your state conforms to federal bonus depreciation.

Federal bracketYear-1 tax valueAfter the $5,995 fee
24%$114,624$108,629
32%$152,832$146,837
35%$167,160$161,165
37%$176,712$170,717

A $3M purchase price falls in the $3M–$5M band of our Multifamily 5+ pricing, a flat $5,995. At $5,000,000 and above the next band applies ($7,995). See the full pricing table.

The first five years

Depreciation on a $2,400,000 basis, with and without the study.

The Year-1 reclassification of $477,600 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 $477,600 has already been taken and only the $1,922,400 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$87,273$547,505$460,233
Year 2$87,273$69,905$442,865
Year 3$87,273$69,905$425,498
Year 4$87,273$69,905$408,131
Year 5$87,273$69,905$390,764

The cumulative gap narrows by $17,367 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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