Worked example · Condo

Cost segregation on a $500K Condo reclassifies $68,000 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
$68,000
17% of $400,000 basis
Year-1 federal tax savings
$25,160
at 37% marginal bracket
Return on study cost
28×
study fee $895
MACRS class breakdown

How the $68,000 splits across 5-, 7-, and 15-year property.

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

65%
15%
20%

5-year property

$44,200

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

7-year property

$10,200

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

15-year property

$13,600

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

Year-1 deduction comparison

Without a study vs. with one.

Standard depreciation
400,000 ÷ 27.5 years
$14,545
Year-1 deduction (no study)
With cost seg + 100% bonus
5/7/15-yr accelerated
$68,000
Year-1 deduction
Difference
+$53,455 pulled forward into Year 1

At a 37% federal bracket, that's $25,160 in cash you keep instead of paying — a 28× return on the $895 study. Run it on your actual property below.

What $68,000 is worth to you

The $500K condo at four federal brackets.

The headline figure assumes the top 37% bracket. Most owners are not in it, so here is the same $68,000 Year-1 deduction valued at other federal rates, before and after the $895 study fee. State income tax comes on top where your state conforms to federal bonus depreciation.

Federal bracketYear-1 tax valueAfter the $895 fee
24%$16,320$15,425
32%$21,760$20,865
35%$23,800$22,905
37%$25,160$24,265

A $500K purchase price falls in the $300K–$700K band of our Single-family / STR / Condo / ADU pricing, a flat $895. At $700,000 and above the next band applies ($995). See the full pricing table.

The first five years

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

The Year-1 reclassification of $68,000 equals about 4.7 years of standard 27.5-year depreciation on this property. After Year 1 the study's annual deduction is smaller, because the reclassified $68,000 has already been taken and only the $332,000 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$14,545$80,073$65,527
Year 2$14,545$12,073$63,055
Year 3$14,545$12,073$60,582
Year 4$14,545$12,073$58,109
Year 5$14,545$12,073$55,636

The cumulative gap narrows by $2,473 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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