In this episode of the Tax and Accounting Ride Along Podcast, we’re breaking down the fundamentals every real estate investor and property owner needs to know about real estate accounting and tax management. Whether you own a single rental or a growing portfolio, understanding the numbers behind your properties is essential to maximizing profits and staying compliant with the IRS. 🏘️💼

Real estate accounting isn’t just about tracking rent—it’s about keeping accurate records, categorizing expenses correctly, and understanding how tax regulations impact your bottom line. We’ll walk through the essentials, including how to properly track income and expenses, monitor cash flow, and reconcile your accounts so you always know the true financial health of your properties.

We’ll also dive into the tax regulations that directly affect real estate owners and why navigating them correctly is so important. From avoiding penalties to making smarter buying, selling, and management decisions, understanding the tax rules can mean the difference between leaving money on the table and building long-term wealth. 💡

In this episode, you’ll learn about the main types of taxes that impact real estate, including property taxes, rental income taxes, capital gains taxes, and transfer taxes. We’ll explain how each one works and why you need to plan for them ahead of time.

Of course, we’ll also cover the tax deductions and benefits available to property owners, such as mortgage interest, operating expenses, depreciation, and even strategies like the 1031 exchange. Used correctly, these tools can significantly reduce your taxable income and improve your overall returns. 💰

We’ll discuss common compliance issues and accounting challenges real estate owners face, including record-keeping mistakes, misunderstood deductions, and keeping up with ever-changing tax laws. You’ll also hear why maintaining detailed financial records isn’t optional—and how good bookkeeping makes tax time far less stressful.

Finally, we’ll talk about tax planning strategies for efficiency, when it makes sense to bring in a professional accountant, and how working with a real estate-savvy tax professional can help you avoid costly mistakes while optimizing your investment strategy.

Proper tax management isn’t just about compliance—it’s about maximizing returns and protecting your investments.

So buckle up and tune in for a practical, no-nonsense breakdown of real estate accounting basics that every property owner should understand. 🎧

This episode of the Tax and Accounting Ride Along Podcast will help you build a stronger financial foundation for your real estate investments—now and in the future.

In this episode of the Tax and Accounting Ride Along Podcast, we’re breaking down one of the most common—and most misunderstood—topics in small business taxation: how LLCs are taxed. If you own an LLC (or are thinking about forming one), this episode is a must-listen. 🚗🎧

LLCs are incredibly popular because of their flexibility, but that flexibility also creates confusion—especially when it comes to taxes. By default, most LLCs are flow-through entities, meaning the business itself doesn’t pay income tax. Instead, profits and losses flow directly onto the owners’ personal tax returns. This structure helps avoid double taxation, but it also comes with important responsibilities that many business owners overlook.

We’ll walk through how single-member LLCs are treated as disregarded entities, while multi-member LLCs are taxed like partnerships by default. We’ll also explain why the number of members matters and how ownership percentages impact who reports what on their tax return.

A major focus of this episode is self-employment tax—what it is, why LLC members are subject to it, and how it can significantly impact your overall tax bill. Many LLC owners are surprised to learn that even though their business is “pass-through,” they’re still responsible for Social Security and Medicare taxes on their share of the profits. 💸

From there, we dive into LLC tax elections. Did you know an LLC can elect to be taxed as an S corporation or even a C corporation in certain situations? We’ll discuss:

When an S corporation election might help reduce self-employment taxes

Why a C corporation election is rarely used—but sometimes strategic

What business owners should understand before making any election with the IRS

We’ll also touch on the importance of proper recordkeeping, staying compliant as tax laws change, and why trying to “DIY” LLC tax planning can lead to costly mistakes.

Most importantly, this episode reinforces a key truth: LLC taxation is not one-size-fits-all. The right tax structure depends on your income, growth plans, and personal financial situation—which is why professional guidance is so critical.

Whether you’re a new LLC owner, a seasoned entrepreneur, or just trying to better understand how your business is taxed, this episode will give you clarity, context, and practical insight you can actually use.

So buckle up and ride along as we demystify LLC taxation and help you make smarter, more informed decisions for your business. 🚦

In this episode of the Tax and Accounting Ride Along Podcast, we’re breaking down one of the most common — and costly — misunderstandings in small business accounting: owner’s draws and member’s draws are not deductible business expenses. 🚨

If you’re a sole proprietor, single-member LLC owner, or part of a multi-member LLC, chances are you’ve taken money out of your business at some point. But are you treating it correctly for accounting and tax purposes? This episode explains why getting this wrong can lead to IRS issues, inaccurate financials, and unexpected tax bills.

We start by clearly defining what an owner’s draw and a member’s draw are from an accounting standpoint, and how they differ depending on your business structure. Then we tackle the big question: why the IRS does not allow these withdrawals as deductible business expenses — even though they reduce your business’s cash balance.

You’ll learn how the IRS views draws as distributions of profit rather than operating expenses, and what that means for your taxable income. We also explain the tax implications, including why business owners are taxed on profits whether or not they actually withdraw the money. 💡

To wrap things up, we share practical tips to help you stay compliant and avoid common mistakes, such as:

• Keeping accurate records of owner’s and member’s draws
• Avoiding draws that exceed business equity
• Understanding how improper draws can lead to double taxation
• Knowing when it’s time to consult a tax professional

If you want cleaner books, fewer tax surprises, and a better understanding of how money really flows in your business, this episode is a must-listen.

🎧 Buckle up for another clarity-packed episode of the Tax and Accounting Ride Along Podcast, where we turn confusing tax rules into practical knowledge you can actually use.