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Maximizing Tax Benefits: Business Bonus Depreciation and New Expensing Opportunities

The revival of 100% bonus depreciation stands as a pivotal factor in the latest U.S. tax legislation, designed to drive economic revitalization. With the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) setting significant precedents for bonus depreciation, its renewed permanence under the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" (OBBBA) underscores a critical support measure for businesses, especially amidst the economic shifts caused by the pandemic. This blog dives into the advantages, historical evolution, specific rules, and implications of bonus depreciation, and evaluates recent updates from its re-instatement.

Accounting and Planning
  • Historical Overview: Originally Launched to Boost the Economy - Bonus depreciation emerged from the Job Creation and Worker Assistance Act in 2002, enabling businesses to immediately deduct substantial costs related to qualifying property rather than lengthy depreciation. Initially capped at 30%, it grew to 50%, then 100% during downturns. TCJA’s 100% first-year deduction for qualified properties offered a significant stimulus for capital expenditure and growth before its gradual phase-out beginning in 2023, culminating in 2027 when it would cease.

  • Tax Benefits of Bonus Depreciation - This provision allows businesses to write off assets in their inaugural year, delivering immediate tax relief and fostering investments. While this amplifies cash flow by curtailing taxable profits, strategic planning is crucial. For instance, Section 199A deductions depend on qualified business income (QBI). High capital deductions can lower profits, impacting the Sec 199A deduction, while also potentially reducing taxable income to circumvent phase-outs and limitations of 199A.

  • Corporate Planning
  • Eligibility for Bonus Depreciation - Eligible properties cover tangible items with a recovery period of 20 years or less, software, water utilities, and improvements. The IRS designs recovery durations: business vehicles generally span 5 years, while office tools cover 7 years. Real properties lack bonus depreciation eligibility due to longer recovery spans of 27.5 or 39 years depending on property use.

  • Effects on Qualified Improvement Property - Legislative hurdles initially hindered improvements like leasehold and retail projects' qualification for bonus depreciation under a 15-year MACRS recovery period, but these issues were rectified by the CARES Act.

  • Undoing Bonus Depreciation: AMT Considerations - The option to revoke bonus depreciation without IRS consent is confined to timely, amended filings. Bonus depreciation exempts property from alternative minimum tax (AMT) adjustments, aligning regular and AMT relief.

  • Business Vehicles and Depreciation Guidelines - Business vehicles categorized as "luxury autos" have specific deduction ceilings, increased by $8,000 during bonus depreciation years as set by TCJA. OBBBA maintains assumptions for this extra amount. Complexities arise from related party rules and Section 179 applications, with pre-bonus depreciation adjustments required.

  • Legislative Updates' Solutions - OBBBA renews the 100% deduction for qualifying properties activated post-January 19, 2025. The reinstatement confers permanence on bonus depreciation, allowing 40% for installations from January 1, 2025, to January 19, 2025. These steps ensure strategic business investments consistent with long-term economic policies.

  • Business Strategy Planning
  • New Expensing for Qualified Production Property - Under the OBBBA, the immediate deduction extends to specific new factories and facility improvements. Effective for properties placed in service after July 4, 2025, this permits a full deduction of the adjusted basis of qualifying production properties in the service year, shaped by consistent criteria and IRS-guided elections.

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The repositioning of bonus depreciation represents a strategic fiscal device to revive business activity by capital investment. While advantageous, comprehending the dynamics around QBI deductions, AMT impacts, and qualification criteria is crucial. As businesses steer through legislative intricacies and sunset clauses, bonus depreciation endures as a cornerstone for proactive economic progression planning.

For businesses keen on optimizing bonus depreciation for financial advantages, contact our experts based in Atlanta or Los Angeles for guidance.

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