Say Goodbye to 100 Percent Bonus Depreciation

All good things must come to an end. On December 31, 2022, one of the best tax deductions ever for businesses ended: 100 percent bonus depreciation.

Since late 2017, businesses have used bonus depreciation to deduct 100 percent of the cost of most types of property other than real property. But starting in 2023, bonus depreciation is scheduled to decline 20 percent each year until it reaches zero in 2027.

For example, if you purchased $100,000 in equipment for your business and placed it in service in 2022, you can deduct $100,000 using 100 percent bonus depreciation. For equipment purchased in 2023, you’ll be able to deduct only $80,000 (80 percent).

 Both IRC Section 179 expensing and bonus depreciation allow business owners to deduct in one year the cost of most types of tangible personal property, plus off-the-shelf computer software. Both can be used for new and used property acquired by purchase from an unrelated party. Both also can be used to deduct various non-structural improvements to non-residential buildings after they are placed in service.

Moreover, the two deductions aren’t mutually exclusive. You can apply Section 179 expensing to qualifying property up to the annual limit and then claim bonus depreciation for any remaining basis. Starting in 2023, when bonus depreciation will be less than 100 percent, any basis left after applying Section 179 and bonus depreciation will be deducted with regular depreciation over several years.

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