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.
Real Home Owners Relief
Real Home Owners Relief The sub-prime mortgage debacle is still playing out nationwide, with new home sales plummeting 61 percent since January, foreclosure rates doubling, and the number of borrowers 90-days or more in areas growing. In Northern California, East Bay homeowners – particularly, those residing in Contra Costa County, where many buyers make their…
8 Steps for Getting Out of Debt
8 Steps for Getting Out of Debt The average American spends a great deal more than they make every year. This results in a financial pitfall later in life. If you find yourself digging deeper into the empty wallet, here are ten steps you can use as a crutch to help free yourself of the…
6 Tips to Consider When Faced With Foreclosure
6 Tips to Consider When Faced With Foreclosure By Alan L. Olsen, CPA, MBA (tax) Managing Partner Greenstein, Rogoff, Olsen & Co., LLP Updated: 10/9/12 Many find themselves faced with foreclosure in the world today. Sometimes the circumstances leading to foreclosure isn’t your fault. If faced with foreclosure, most likely you want to know what…
Invest QSBS exclusion
Invest QSBS exclusion Updated: 1/23/2013 The FTB issued Notice 2012-03 on December 21, 2012. The Notice states that the Court of Appeal’s holding in Cutler v. Franchise Tax Board (2012) 208 Cal. App. 4th 1247, that the qualified small business stock exclusion and deferral statutes determined that the qualified small business stock statues–California Revenue and…