Could a Yacht Be Considered Your Second Home?
They say that a home is where the heart is. However, when it comes to a second home, it can be where your heart is, or just about anywhere else, as far as the IRS is concerned. In fact, not only can a second home be just about anywhere, it can actually be just about any structure, including a yacht or even a sailboat.
That’s right, boats typically count as a second home in the IRS’s book for figuring tax breaks, as long as the boat has cooking, sleeping and toilet amenities. According to the IRS, when it comes to your federal income tax, home mortgage interest is any interest you pay on a loan that is secured by your home. If you itemize your deductions and you own a qualified home with a mortgage you can deduct the interest from that mortgage.
Likewise, for your federal income taxes, you can also deduct taxes on personal property based on the value of that personal property, including any taxes due on a boat. However, you must be using your yacht or other boat for personal use. You don’t even have to stay in the boat or second home anytime during the year in order to claim real estate, property and interest taxes as deductions.
So if you’re considering buying a yacht or you already have one, then make sure you are fully maximizing the tax breaks that could come with it. If you want to make sure you are taking advantage of every tax break possible, then contact GROCO today for help. Just call 1-877-CPA-2006.
Alan L. Olsen, CPA, MBA(tax)
Alan L. Olsen, CPA, MBA (Tax) Managing Partner Alan is managing partner at Greenstein, Rogoff, Olsen & Co., LLP, (GROCO) and is a respected leader in his field. He is also the radio show host to American Dreams. Alan’s CPA firm resides in the San Francisco Bay Area and serves some of the most influential…
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