< Back to IRS

StarSurfer

Can I deduct garage storage costs for my LLC-owned camper that's used for both rental and personal use?

I'm planning to buy a camper that I'd store in my home garage. I want to set up an LLC to rent it out, but also use it personally sometimes. I'm thinking this might be about 60% rental use and 40% personal use. The big advantage is I'd save on storage costs - decent indoor storage in my area runs about $200/month. Since I'd be using my own garage, I'm wondering if I could count this as a business expense for the LLC? Maybe I could pro-rate it based on the business/personal usage split? For example, could I claim about $110/month as a legitimate business expense for storage? Would I need to actually transfer money from my personal account to the business account to pay for this storage? That seems kind of silly but I understand there might be reasons for maintaining separation. I'm trying to keep everything above board while maximizing legitimate tax deductions. Has anyone dealt with something similar before?

Ava Martinez

•

This is a common question with rental property that has mixed business/personal use. The IRS calls this "allocating expenses" and yes, you can deduct a portion of your garage as a business expense, but there are several things to consider. First, you'll need to determine the exact percentage of business use vs personal use (your 60/40 split). This needs to be documented and supportable (keeping a log of rental days vs personal days). For the garage space, you'll need to determine what percentage of your home the garage represents, then apply your business use percentage to that. For example, if your garage is 20% of your home's square footage, and the camper is used 60% for business, you could potentially deduct 12% of costs associated with that space. And yes, you should have your LLC pay you rent for the storage space. This creates a paper trail that shows the business expense is legitimate. It's not silly - it's maintaining the separation that protects your LLC status.

0 coins

Miguel Castro

•

I'm curious - wouldn't this potentially open them up to home office deduction rules? I thought you couldn't claim home expenses for business unless you meet strict requirements about exclusive use.

0 coins

Ava Martinez

•

Great question. Storage space doesn't fall under the same "exclusive use" test as a home office deduction. The IRS treats storage of inventory or product differently than office space. For rental activities like this, you can allocate expenses based on the portion of your home used for storage and the percentage of business use. You'll want to document both the space used and the time allocation carefully in case of audit.

0 coins

I've been using taxr.ai for my rental property tax questions and it's been super helpful with exactly this kind of situation. Last year I started renting out my vacation cabin part-time and wasn't sure how to handle all the mixed-use expenses. I uploaded my documents to https://taxr.ai and got really clear guidance on what I could deduct and how to document everything properly. Their system analyzed my specific situation and helped me understand how to properly allocate expenses between business and personal use. It even caught some deductions I was missing related to my property management activities.

0 coins

Connor Byrne

•

Does it actually work for more complex tax situations? I've tried other tax help sites and they always give generic advice that doesn't really apply to my specific scenario.

0 coins

Yara Elias

•

I'm skeptical of these AI tax tools. Can it really handle the nuances of LLC ownership and mixed-use property? What happens if you get audited and the IRS disagrees with what the tool told you?

0 coins

For complex tax situations, it actually works really well because it's designed to handle nuanced questions rather than just the basics. It analyzed all my mixed-use property documentation and provided specific guidance for my situation, not just generic advice. Regarding audits and IRS disagreements, the tool provides explanations that reference specific tax code sections and rulings, so you have substantiation for the positions you take. They also provide documentation you can keep with your tax records to support your deductions if questioned later.

0 coins

Yara Elias

•

I was really skeptical about using an AI tool for my LLC tax questions, but I decided to try taxr.ai after seeing it mentioned here. I had a similar situation with a rental property that I sometimes use personally. The tool actually surprised me - it gave me specific guidance on how to properly allocate my expenses based on IRS guidelines for mixed-use properties. It explained exactly how to document my business use percentage and what records I needed to keep to support my deductions. The best part was getting clear answers about when I could and couldn't deduct certain expenses. Saved me from making some mistakes that could have caused problems during an audit. Definitely worth checking out if you're in a similar situation with your camper rental business.

0 coins

QuantumQuasar

•

If you're going to rent out a camper through an LLC, you're eventually going to need to deal with the IRS about something. I tried for weeks to get through to someone about my similar rental situation last year - complete nightmare with hold times and disconnects. I finally used https://claimyr.com to get through to an actual IRS agent. They basically call and wait on hold for you, then connect you when they reach a human. Check out how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c The agent I talked to confirmed exactly how to handle the mixed-use property expenses for my rental, which was super helpful for filing correctly. Made me feel a lot more confident about the deductions I was taking.

0 coins

Wait, how does this service actually work? Do they just call and wait on hold for you? That seems too simple to be worth paying for.

0 coins

Paolo Moretti

•

Sorry, but this sounds like a scam. I can't imagine the IRS would give different answers to a third-party service than they would to me directly. And paying someone to wait on hold? Really?

0 coins

QuantumQuasar

•

The service is super straightforward - they have a system that calls the IRS and waits in the queue for you. When an agent picks up, you get a call connecting you directly to that agent. It saves you from being stuck on hold for hours, which was happening to me constantly. It's definitely not a scam - they don't talk to the IRS for you or pretend to be you. They just handle the hold time, then you speak directly with the IRS agent yourself. I was skeptical too until I tried it and got connected to an actual IRS representative in about 45 minutes (after trying for days on my own without success).

0 coins

Paolo Moretti

•

I'm back to eat my words. After dismissing Claimyr as a potential scam, I got frustrated trying to reach the IRS about my rental property questions and decided to give it a shot. To my surprise, it actually worked exactly as described. I got a call back when they reached an agent, and I was able to ask specific questions about my situation. The agent confirmed I could deduct a portion of my storage costs based on the business use percentage, but warned me to keep detailed records of both the space allocation and the usage logs. They also mentioned that I should have a formal agreement between myself and my LLC for the storage space rental to strengthen the legitimacy of the deduction. Honestly, I'm glad I tried this service - saved me hours of frustration.

0 coins

Amina Diop

•

Don't forget about liability insurance! If you're renting out a camper, you need proper commercial insurance coverage. Your regular homeowner's policy likely won't cover commercial activities, and your personal auto insurance won't cover rental use. This is actually relevant to your tax question too - insurance costs can be allocated between business/personal use just like your storage costs. The insurance costs specifically for the rental activity are fully deductible business expenses.

0 coins

StarSurfer

•

Thanks for bringing this up! Do you have any recommendations for finding good commercial insurance for a camper rental? And approximately how much should I expect to pay compared to regular insurance?

0 coins

Amina Diop

•

I recommend talking to an independent insurance broker who handles both personal and commercial policies. They can shop around for the best coverage for your specific situation. Commercial insurance for a rental camper will definitely cost more than personal insurance - probably 1.5 to 2 times as much. The exact cost depends on factors like the value of your camper, your location, coverage limits, and how many days you rent it out. Make sure the policy specifically covers peer-to-peer rentals, as some commercial policies are designed for full-time rental businesses and might not be appropriate for your mixed-use situation.

0 coins

Oliver Weber

•

Just want to add - make sure you're following local zoning laws if you're running a business from your home. Some neighborhoods have restrictions on commercial activities, including vehicle rentals and storage of commercial vehicles. Would hate to see you get hit with fines or have to shut down your business after investing in the camper.

0 coins

This is such an important point. My neighbor tried to run an equipment rental business from his home and got shut down by the HOA and city zoning department. Cost him thousands in fines and legal fees.

0 coins

IRS AI

Expert Assistant
Secure

Powered by Claimyr AI

T
I
+
20,087 users helped today