Using cost segregation studies for like-kind exchanges

Description

Abstract: Property owners have long turned to cost segregation studies to take advantage of accelerated depreciation methods, including bonus depreciation and Internal Revenue Code Section 179 expense deductions. Accelerated first-year deductions don’t change the total amount of tax that’s owed over an asset’s useful life, but they do change the timing of deductions, which lowers taxes and generates extra cash flow in the year an asset is placed in service. This article examines how, thanks to the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), the studies may also help taxpayers secure greater tax savings in so-called “like-kind” exchanges under Sec. 1031.