Increased Bonus Depreciation and Code Sec. 179 Expensing under the Job Creation Act of 2010

Bonus depreciation. Bonus depreciation is intended to help businesses depreciate purchases faster against their taxable income, thereby encouraging businesses to invest in more equipment. Bonus depreciation allows businesses to recover the costs of certain capital expenditures more quickly than under ordinary tax depreciation schedules. Businesses can use bonus depreciation to immediately write off a percentage of the cost of depreciable property. The new law makes 100 percent bonus depreciation available for qualified investments made after September 8, 2010 and before January 1, 2012. It also continues bonus depreciation, albeit at 50 percent, on property placed in service after December 31, 2011 and before January 1, 2013. There are special rules for certain longer-lived and transportation property. A significant benefit of 100% bonus depreciation is that it is not limited in amount and can create a net operating loss to be carried back to prior years and result in a tax refund. 100 percent bonus depreciation is a valuable tax break and businesses have only a short window to take advantage of it. Please contact our office so we can help you plan for 100 bonus depreciation.

Code Sec. 179 expensing. Along with bonus depreciation, the new law also provides for enhanced Code Sec. 179 expensing for 2012. Under current law, the Code Sec. 179 expense and investment limits are $500,000 and $2 million, respectively, for tax years beginning in 2010 and 2011. The new law provides for a $125,000 dollar limit (indexed for inflation) and a $500,000 investment limit (indexed for inflation) for tax years beginning in 2012 (but not after). The expense is also limited to taxable income. However, unlike bonus depreciation which is only eligible for new qualifying property, Code Sec. 179 expenses can be taken on new or used qualifying property.