Worked example · Multifamily (5+)

Cost segregation on a $5M Multifamily (5+) reclassifies $796,000 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
$796,000
20% of $4,000,000 basis
Year-1 federal tax savings
$294,520
at 37% marginal bracket
Return on study cost
37×
study fee $7,995
MACRS class breakdown

How the $796,000 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

$398,000

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

7-year property

$95,520

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

15-year property

$302,480

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

Year-1 deduction comparison

Without a study vs. with one.

Standard depreciation
4,000,000 ÷ 27.5 years
$145,455
Year-1 deduction (no study)
With cost seg + 100% bonus
5/7/15-yr accelerated
$796,000
Year-1 deduction
Difference
+$650,545 pulled forward into Year 1

At a 37% federal bracket, that's $294,520 in cash you keep instead of paying — a 37× return on the $7,995 study. Run it on your actual property below.

What $796,000 is worth to you

The $5M 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 $796,000 Year-1 deduction valued at other federal rates, before and after the $7,995 study fee. State income tax comes on top where your state conforms to federal bonus depreciation.

Federal bracketYear-1 tax valueAfter the $7,995 fee
24%$191,040$183,045
32%$254,720$246,725
35%$278,600$270,605
37%$294,520$286,525

A $5M purchase price falls in the $5M–$7M band of our Multifamily 5+ pricing, a flat $7,995. At $7,000,000 and above the next band applies ($10,495). See the full pricing table.

The first five years

Depreciation on a $4,000,000 basis, with and without the study.

The Year-1 reclassification of $796,000 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 $796,000 has already been taken and only the $3,204,000 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$145,455$912,509$767,055
Year 2$145,455$116,509$738,109
Year 3$145,455$116,509$709,164
Year 4$145,455$116,509$680,218
Year 5$145,455$116,509$651,273

The cumulative gap narrows by $28,945 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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