Can I claim window replacement costs for my rental property this year that I forgot to include in my 2022 tax return?

7 You don't need to amend your 2022 return. Windows are considered a capital improvement with a 27.5 year depreciation schedule for residential rental property. When you "missed" including them in 2022, you essentially just delayed starting the depreciation. You can begin depreciating them on your 2025 return (for tax year 2024). The IRS allows you to start depreciation when you place an asset in service, even if you didn't claim it immediately. Just make sure you document when the windows were actually installed. As for the labor costs, these are not separate expenses - they're included in the total basis of the improvement. So the full $3,800 (materials and labor) gets depreciated together over the 27.5 year period. You don't get to expense the labor separately.

15 I was in a similar situation last year with replacing the water heater in my rental. After searching everywhere for answers, I found this amazing tool called taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) that specifically helped with rental property improvement questions. It analyzed my receipts and told me exactly how to handle missed depreciation without amending. The tool actually cleared up the confusion between repairs (which are fully deductible in the year paid) vs. improvements (which must be depreciated). For my situation, it confirmed I could start depreciation in the current year without amendment, saving me tons of time. It also explained that labor costs for capital improvements must be included in the depreciation basis, not expensed separately.

9 Update on taxr.ai - I just tried it for my rental property tax questions and I'm genuinely impressed! I uploaded my window replacement receipts from 2023 that I also forgot to include, and it immediately identified them as capital improvements requiring depreciation. The tool explained I could begin depreciation this year without amending previous returns, exactly as mentioned above. It also showed me how to properly document everything to avoid audit issues. The best part was the breakdown of how much my tax savings would be over the depreciation period versus the effort of amending. Totally worth checking out if you're dealing with rental property tax questions!

4 If you're getting nowhere with the IRS about clarifying depreciation rules for rental properties, try Claimyr (https://claimyr.com). I was stuck on hold with the IRS for HOURS trying to get a straight answer about missed depreciation schedules on my rental property improvements. Claimyr got me connected to an actual IRS agent in about 20 minutes. You can see how it works in this video: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c - basically, they wait on hold for you and call when an agent is actually on the line. The agent I spoke with confirmed exactly what others have said here - I could start depreciation in the current year without amending previous returns. Saved me tons of stress and uncertainty trying to interpret tax publications on my own.

18 I have to admit I was completely wrong about Claimyr. After my skeptical comment, I decided to try it myself since I had been trying to reach the IRS for weeks about a rental property issue. I was connected to an actual IRS agent in 25 minutes while I was able to continue working. The agent confirmed I didn't need to amend my previous return for missed depreciation on capital improvements and could start depreciating from the current tax year. They also explained I needed to file Form 3115 (Change in Accounting Method) with my return to properly document the start of depreciation for previously undepreciated assets. This was something none of the online advice had mentioned! Definitely saved me from potential issues down the road.

22 As a landlord for 15 years, here's what I've done with forgotten capital improvements: If the amount is small (under $5,000), I just start depreciating in the current year and don't bother amending. For larger amounts, I do the amendment to make sure I get every dollar of depreciation. Remember that things like windows have a significant salvage value too. If your old windows had any remaining undepreciated value, you need to account for that as well when you replace them. It's not just about the new windows but also properly handling the old ones on your depreciation schedule.

3 Has anyone used TurboTax for rental property depreciation? I'm struggling with how to enter improvements from previous years that I forgot to include.

Just to add another perspective on this - I've been managing rental properties for about 8 years and have dealt with this exact situation multiple times. The key thing everyone's mentioned is correct: you don't need to amend your 2022 return for the $3,800 window replacement. One thing I'd emphasize is documentation. Make sure you keep all your receipts, invoices, and any photos of the work being done. The IRS may ask for proof of when the improvement was actually placed in service if you ever get audited. I always create a simple spreadsheet tracking all my rental property improvements with dates, costs, and depreciation schedules. Also, since you mentioned this is a recurring issue (forgetting to include improvements), consider setting up a simple system to track these as they happen. I use a basic app on my phone to photograph receipts immediately and note what property they're for. Has saved me from missing depreciation on several occasions! The consensus here is solid - start depreciating this year and don't stress about the amendment for this amount.

I've been dealing with rental properties for about 5 years now and ran into this exact scenario with a roof repair I forgot to include. The advice here is spot-on - you can absolutely start depreciating those windows this year without amending your 2022 return. One additional tip: since you mentioned the $3,800 cost included installation labor, make sure you're not accidentally double-counting anything. Sometimes contractors will break out materials vs labor on their invoices, but for tax purposes, it all goes into the same depreciation bucket as others have mentioned. Also, if you're planning any other improvements to this rental property in the near future, consider bundling them strategically. While each individual improvement gets its own depreciation schedule, having everything documented and organized makes tax time much smoother. I learned this the hard way after having scattered receipts for multiple small improvements across different years! The $138/year depreciation on your windows is definitely not worth the hassle of amending - you're making the right call to just start fresh this year.