Section 179 allows businesses to deduct the full cost of capital assets (like furniture and equipment) right away rather than depreciating them over their useful life.
Taking advantage of Section 179 is a simple three-step process.
To qualify for a Section 179 deduction, your asset must be:
Section 179 rules require you to start using the asset in your business to take the deduction. For example, if you purchase a piece of equipment in December of 2022 but don't start using it until 2023, you would have to wait until your 2023 tax return to claim the Section 179 deduction for that asset.
You claim the Section 179 deduction on Part I of Form 4562. You'll have to include a description of the property, its cost, and the amount of Section 179 you're claiming for that asset on Line 6. If you need more room, you can attach a list to Form 4562.
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A few limits apply to the Section 179 deduction.
1. The deduction starts to slip away after spending $2,700,000
For 2022, you can expense up to $1,080,000 of eligible property. However, if you spend more than $2,700,000 on qualifying property, your deduction will be reduced on a dollar-for-dollar basis.
For example, if your business purchases $2,800,000 of property, you'll have gone over the cap by $100,000. So your maximum Section 179 expense will be $980,000 ($1,080,000 minus $100,000).
2. Your net income is the ceiling
Your Section 179 deduction is also limited to your business' net income for the year—you can't deduct more money than you made. For example, if you have net income of $50,000 before taking the Section 179 deduction into account, and you purchased $60,000 worth of eligible property, your deduction is limited to $50,000. At that point, you can opt to take regular depreciation on the remaining assets.
In that scenario, you missed out on $10,000 worth of Section 179 deductions because you didn't make enough money that year. But there's hope! You can carry that $10,000 deduction forward to next year, as long as your net income allows it.
There's one more limit to Section 179 expensing that applies to vehicles. Several years ago, a loophole in the rules allowed businesses to write off the full cost of large SUVs (like Hummers). Lawmakers closed that loophole by establishing limits for expensing vehicles.
Vehicles that qualify for the full Section 179 deduction:
Claiming the Section 179 deduction can be a huge tax break for your small business, especially if you decide to purchase needed machinery and equipment before year-end. If you're wondering how it will impact your deductions, talk to your accountant or tax advisor before making any big decisions.
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