Form 1098 for Rental Property Owners: Getting Every Box Onto the Right Schedule E Line
Form 1098 Box 1 goes to Schedule E line 12 and Box 5 to line 9, but rental points must be amortized over the loan term — never expensed in year one.
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Real Estate
Real estate accounting, property tracking, and investment management
Lending Your Own Money for a Living: Licensing, Usury Caps, and Bookkeeping for Hard Money Lenders
US private lending: business-purpose loans escape licensing and usury caps only if documented so, points count as interest, and IRS Section 166 rules bad debt.
Home Equity Agreements: What Shared-Appreciation Cash Really Costs
Home equity agreements trade cash now for a share of your home's future value — no interest, but a balloon settlement and no IRS mortgage-interest deduction.
HOA Reserve Fund Accounting: Why Your Repair Money Needs Its Own Bank Account
Commingling HOA reserve and operating cash violates Florida and Washington law — and reserve interest is taxable on IRS Form 1120-H even when dues are not.
DC May Let Renters Host on Airbnb: What the 2026 Short-Term Rental Act Means for Tenants
DC's 2026 Short-Term Rental Act would let renters host on Airbnb, but it isn't law yet. Budget a $99 license, $250K insurance, Schedule C and DC's D-30 tax.
Assuming the Seller's 3% Mortgage: How FHA, VA, and USDA Loan Assumptions Work in 2026
FHA, VA and USDA mortgages can be assumed at the seller's 3% rate while new loans cost 6.76%; the catch is the equity gap due at closing.
The Backyard Cottage P&L: What an ADU Really Costs, Earns, and Does to Your Taxes
ADU rental income goes on IRS Schedule E: split shared costs by square footage, depreciate the unit over 27.5 years, and plan for 25% recapture tax at sale.
Canada's Capital Gains Inclusion Rate Is Still One-Half: Selling a Business or Rental in 2026
Canada cancelled the two-thirds capital gains inclusion rate on March 21, 2025, but kept the $1.25M lifetime exemption — roughly $1,275,000 indexed for 2026. Here are the QSBC tests, CCA recapture, and 45(2)/45(3) elections that decide your bill.
You Own the Land but Not the Minerals: How Lease Bonuses, Royalties, and Depletion Are Taxed
Oil and gas lease bonuses, delay rentals, and royalties are all ordinary income reported on Schedule E — but royalties qualify for 15% percentage depletion that can continue after your basis hits zero. How each payment is taxed, where it goes on your return, and the state traps to avoid.
Security Deposits vs. Advance Rent: What Landlords Owe Tax On
Advance rent is taxable the year you receive it; a refundable security deposit is not income until you keep it. The split, the state escrow and interest rules underneath it, and the journal entries that keep both straight.
Buying on Contract? How a Contract for Deed Works — and the Federal Protections Most Buyers Never Hear About
In a contract for deed, the seller keeps legal title until your last payment while you pay the taxes, insurance, and repairs. Since the CFPB's 2024 advisory opinion, covered sellers must assess ability to repay, disclose the APR, and face limits on balloon payments.
Mortgage Points and Origination Fees on Rental and Business Property: What to Amortize, and the Same-Lender Refinance Trap
Points on rental and business property are prepaid interest that must be amortized per scheduled payment, not per year — $4,800 on a 20-year loan is $20 a payment, so a 3-payment first year deducts $60. Refinancing with the same lender blocks the write-off of leftover points and rolls them into the new loan's term.