Rate of Return for Cost Segregation Study in Year One
Cost segregation offers a bevy of benefits to a commercial property owner that has income that cannot be shielded with other methods. Though it may not work for every business, when it does, cost segregation can have immediate results. One of the main advantages is that if can have an almost immediate impact on your bottom line in several ways.
This payback on your investment can range from 10 times what you spent on the cost segregation study, to 100 times your investment in only a year. This depends on many factors, however:
Bonus depreciation is the secret weapon for many cost segregation cases, as it acts as an enhancer to savings under the correct circumstances. While still effective, bonus depreciation is currently in a sunsetting period, diminishing every year:
The One Big Beautiful Bill and Reinstatement of Bonus Depreciation While the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 was originally scheduled to sunset, starting December 31, 2022, On July 4, 2025, The One Big Beautiful Bill was signed into law permanently reinstating 100% bonus depreciation. Qualifying assets put into service after January 19, 2025 can now be written off immediately, which keeps cost segregation a valuable strategy for maximizing deductions.
Updated Bonus Depreciation Timeline
- Sept. 28, 2017 – Dec. 31, 2022 100% bonus depreciation available under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA).
- 2023 80% bonus depreciation (first step in the scheduled phase-down).
- 2024 60% bonus depreciation.
- Jan. 1 – Jan. 19, 2025 40% bonus depreciation (final phase of the TCJA phase-down).
- Jan. 20, 2025 and onward 100% bonus depreciation permanently restored
While it may not be the massive boost it was a few years ago, bonus depreciation still has some life in it, but the window is closing. There have been attempts to bring it back to full power, and the current administration is keen to see it restored to some portion of its former glory. Until then, there is only a limited time to add this to your cost segregation victory
