THE BOOK ON TAX STRATEGIES FOR THE SAVVY REAL ESTATE INVESTOR

A debut guide offers tips for those actively investing in real estate or considering the move to boost income and build wealth.

In this book, Han and MacFarland detail tax-saving strategies, stressing the need for proactive tax planning before any real estate investments are made and explaining why full and accurate record-keeping and documentation remain vital to business success. The manual covers how related expenses, such as traveling to view potential properties and catering at open house events, can be broadly defined but still legally deducted as long as they are an ordinary and necessary part of doing business. The correct way to establish and use legal entities such as Limited Liability Corporations and S Corporations to protect assets is also discussed. Furthermore, the authors address how investors can avoid the dreaded IRS audit and demonstrate why striving to become as audit-proof as possible is so important: “Unlike the U.S. criminal court system, which deems a person innocent until proven guilty, the IRS has a completely different viewpoint: the taxpayer is guilty until proven innocent.” Another section identifies the ways in which flipped properties are taxed differently than other real estate investments and what effect that has on individuals. The authors write in a friendly, engaging style, explaining complicated real estate tax and legal matters clearly and without condescension. Although some of the tax strategies outlined may sound familiar to investors, other information may be new. For example, the authors explain how an individual’s retirement account can be designated as self-directed rather than based on the stock market and then leveraged to finance property purchases. Their main points are underscored and enlivened by case studies describing the experiences of their clients who’ve made good and bad decisions in their real estate investments and the consequences that resulted. It’s not necessary to be a tax expert to follow the arguments in this guide, and the appended glossary of terms provides additional help.

Well-written, comprehensive advice and strategies detailing the whys, the hows, and the potential pitfalls of real estate investing.