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Know where you stand on landlord tax.
Find those who can help you act on it.

Use our free tools to work out how the tax on your rentals could work better for you — or find a specialist who can do the legwork for you.

Run my numbersStart with the guides

Informational only — not tax advice. We sell no properties, loans, or filings.

Buyer-neutral

We sell no properties, no loans, no filings. Nothing we say is nudging a purchase.

Every figure is sourced

Each number shows where it came from — and where that's an IRS page, you can click straight through to the rule.

Honest ranges

We give you a range that reflects real uncertainty — never a guaranteed number.

We’ll say “do nothing”

If the numbers say sit tight, that's the answer you'll get — no manufactured urgency.

Why we built this

Depreciation recapture, passive-loss limits, the two-of-five-year window, whether an LLC changes anything — the picture is rarely straightforward, and most of the advice out there comes with catches, commissions and self-interest. We’re here to help you understand your own options — and then connect you with the people who can act on them.

We sell no properties, no loans, no filings and no products. The calculators are free and stay free, and every figure shows the published source it came from.

Who this is for

Two to ten doors, held as a side investment, and a tax question that won’t quite leave you alone.

Pick the situation closest to yours. Each one leads to the number and the sources that matter for it.

Situation A

About to sell one

You’ve heard “depreciation recapture” and “1031” and you want the real after-tax figure before you list.

See what selling could cost
Situation B

Scaling to 5–10 doors

You’re wondering whether an LLC, cost segregation, or the STR strategy actually changes your bill.

Test what changes the number
Situation C

Accidental landlord

You inherited a place or moved and rented out the old one — and now the tax rules feel like a foreign language.

Start with the basics

The calculator

What selling your rental could cost you.

Enter what you know. We build an itemized estimate — the same four taxes a good CPA walks through — and show you a range for discussion, not a promise.

Your numbers

Rough figures are fine. Everything updates live.

$
$
$
$
Estimated tax on sale
Itemized statement · illustrative
Your Landlord Guide
Est. 2026
Total taxable gain
Sale price − adjusted basis
$290,000
Depreciation recapture
§1250 · up to 25%
$16,250
Long-term capital gain
§1(h) · 0 / 15 / 20%
$33,750 – $45,000
Net investment income tax
§1411 · 3.8% · may not apply
$11,020
State income tax
Rough estimate — varies by state
$14,500
Estimated total taxAn estimate for discussion
$64,500 – $86,770
Your state isn’t modelled precisely yet. State tax varies a lot — this uses a rough placeholder rate, so the real figure could differ. A specialist in your state confirms it.

Informational purposes only — estimates for discussion, not tax, legal, or financial advice. No professional-client relationship is created. Consult a qualified CPA about your situation.

Confirm your figure with a specialist

A specialist checks your number against your real return — no obligation.

The quiet corrections

What you believe, and what’s actually true

The costliest tax mistakes usually start as a reasonable-sounding belief. Here are the ones we correct most.

You believe
“I paid off the mortgage, so my taxable gain is smaller.”
Actually true
The loan balance never enters the gain calculation. Gain is sale price minus your adjusted basis — debt is irrelevant.
You believe
“I never claimed depreciation, so there’s nothing to recapture.”
Actually true
Recapture applies to depreciation “allowed or allowable.” The IRS assumes you took it whether you did or not.
You believe
“Putting the rental in an LLC will lower my taxes.”
Actually true
A single-member LLC is invisible to the IRS. It’s a liability shield, not a tax strategy — the income flows to you unchanged.
You believe
“A 1031 exchange means I never pay the tax.”
Actually true
It defers the tax and carries your old basis forward. Handled well, that can matter a lot — but it’s a postponement, not a pardon.
Topics we cover

The eight questions that decide most small-landlord tax bills.

Each is a plain-English guide with the code section behind it. More are being written and reviewed.

§1250 · 25%

Depreciation recapture

The tax that surprises sellers most — and why it’s owed even if you skipped it.

§1031

1031 exchanges

Deferring the bill by rolling into a like-kind property. Rules, clocks, and traps.

Pub 946

Cost segregation

Front-loading depreciation on parts of the building. When it pays, when it doesn’t.

§469 · STR

The STR “loophole”

How short-term rentals can sidestep passive-loss limits — and the real conditions.

Structure

LLC vs umbrella

What each actually protects, and why neither is a tax cut on its own.

§121

Home → rental

Converting a residence you lived in, and how the exclusion is prorated after.

Form 3115

Missed depreciation

Never claimed it? There’s a way to catch up in one year — done correctly.

§1014

Estate & step-up

How heirs can inherit a reset basis — and the recapture that quietly disappears.

Straight answers

The questions we hear most, answered honestly.

Does paying off my mortgage lower my tax bill when I sell?
No — the loan balance never enters the gain calculation.Your taxable gain is the sale price minus your adjusted basis (roughly what you paid, plus improvements, minus depreciation). Whether the mortgage is $0 or $300,000 doesn’t change that math. Paying it down builds your equity, not your tax position.
Source · IRS Publication 544, “Sales and Other Dispositions of Assets”
I never claimed depreciation. Am I safe from recapture?
Unfortunately no — it’s recaptured “allowed or allowable.” The IRS calculates recapture on the depreciation you should have taken, even if you never claimed a dollar of it. The good news: if you missed it, Form 3115 often lets you catch up and claim it, so at least you get the deduction you were owed.
Source · IRC §1250 · IRS Form 3115 instructions
Will putting my rental in an LLC cut my taxes?
Usually not — a single-member LLC is invisible to the IRS.It’s “disregarded” for federal tax, meaning the income and deductions land on your personal return exactly as they would without it. An LLC can be worthwhile for liability protection, but treat that as a legal decision, not a tax one.
Source · IRS “Single Member Limited Liability Companies” guidance
If I reinvest the sale proceeds, do I avoid the tax?
Only through a properly structured 1031 exchange — and even then it’s deferred, not erased. Simply buying another property with the cash does nothing; the sale is still taxable. A 1031 has strict deadlines — 45 days to identify, and 180 days to close or your tax return due date for the year of the sale, whichever falls first — and must run through a qualified intermediary. It carries your old, lower basis into the new property.
Source · IRC §1031 · IRS Fact Sheet FS-2008-18
Why is your answer a range instead of one exact number?
Because an honest estimate has real uncertainty in it. Your capital-gain rate depends on your total income for the year (0%, 15%, or 20%), the net investment income tax may or may not apply, and state rules vary. We show the range those variables create rather than pretend a single figure is certain. A specialist narrows it using your actual return.
Source · IRC §1(h) capital gains brackets · §1411 net investment income tax
Coming soon

Real landlord stories will appear here as we help people.

We won’t post a testimonial until it’s from an actual person we’ve genuinely helped. No stock quotes, no invented names. This space stays honest until it’s earned.

Speak to a specialist

Connect with an independent tax specialist who can help you act on it.

The calculators and guides stand on their own, and for a lot of landlords they answer the question and that’s that. When you want to go further, we’ll help you find the right specialist in your state — someone who can help make it a reality.

Book a free consultation

No commitment or fee required. We sell no properties, loans, or filings.