If you are a Maine-based business owner and you own commercial property, you’re probably depreciating it over 39 years. That means that every year, you deduct 1/39th of the property’s value (excluding land) from your taxes. Depending on the value of your property, you could generate a million dollars or more in depreciation deductions over the 39 years.

Wouldn’t it be nice if you could see some of that money sooner?

A cost segregation study can dramatically speed up the depreciation process so you get your deductions faster. Depending on the building type, a cost segregation study takes 15 to 60 percent of the building cost out of 39-year depreciation and puts it into five, seven or 15-year depreciation recovery periods.

Items that may qualify for faster depreciation include electrical wiring, kitchen or laboratory plumbing, landscaping, parking lot improvements, site lighting, underground utilities, decorative millwork, built-in audio visual projectors and screens. In general, any property used to operate your business might be eligible for a faster write-off.

The depreciation on indirect construction costs, such as construction interest and architecture and engineering fees can also be accelerated.

By maximizing your depreciation in the early years of ownership, you increase your cash flow since you pay less income tax.

Remember, the IRS has made it clear that only experienced professionals should conduct cost segregation studies. Property owners, or professionals without the proper experience who try to do this themselves, are likely to have trouble withstanding IRS scrutiny. To learn more about the specifics of your situation, consult with Filler & Associates.