{"id":13496,"date":"2024-09-28T14:33:42","date_gmt":"2024-09-28T20:33:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wcginc.com\/kb-rental-property\/cohan-rule-for-rental-property-owners\/"},"modified":"2026-01-27T08:22:00","modified_gmt":"2026-01-27T08:22:00","slug":"cohan-rule-for-rental-property-owners","status":"publish","type":"epkb_post_type_3","link":"https:\/\/wcginc.com\/kb-rental-property\/cohan-rule-for-rental-property-owners\/","title":{"rendered":"Cohan Rule For Rental Property Owners"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_85 ez-toc-wrap-right counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table Of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/wcginc.com\/kb-rental-property\/cohan-rule-for-rental-property-owners\/#I_Just_Got_A_Rental_What_Do_I_Do_2026_Edition\" >I Just Got A Rental, What Do I Do? 2026 Edition<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/wcginc.com\/kb-rental-property\/cohan-rule-for-rental-property-owners\/#Rental_Expert_Pod_the_REP\" >Rental Expert Pod (the REP)<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/wcginc.com\/kb-rental-property\/cohan-rule-for-rental-property-owners\/#Talk_to_a_Real_Estate_CPA_About_Your_Rental_Property\" >Talk to a Real Estate CPA About Your Rental Property<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/wcginc.com\/kb-rental-property\/cohan-rule-for-rental-property-owners\/#Schedule_Discovery_Meeting_Now\" >Schedule Discovery Meeting Now<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<div class=\"wpb-content-wrapper\"><p>[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=&#8221;&#8221; woodmart_inline=&#8221;no&#8221; text_larger=&#8221;no&#8221;]<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-31815 alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/wcginc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/298257_25366231_cohan_rule_300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"200\" height=\"290\" \/>By <strong>Jason Watson, CPA<\/strong><br \/>\nPosted Saturday, September 28, 2024<\/p>\n<p>Let\u2019s briefly discuss record keeping, and then jump into a famous New York entertainer named Cohan who ultimately provided a nifty rule that can be used during an IRS audit. To be able to demonstrate a business or rental property deduction you need to show the date, the amount and the person or business you paid. A bank or credit card statement, or canceled check, satisfies this. The second element is the business purpose must be documented either through a logbook, planner or accounting software. Proof of payment plus business purpose equals tax deduction.<\/p>\n<p>Do you need receipts? Yes and no. For travel, gifts and meals, if the amount is under $75 then you only need to document the event and business purpose in a logbook or planner. However, if you spend $10 at Costco for some paper, then you need proof of payment plus business purpose documentation. Seems a bit onerous and even contradictory, but it is true.<\/p>\n<p>Enter <a href=\"https:\/\/wcginc.com\/wp-content\/documents\/taxcourt\/Cohan.v.Commissioner.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Cohan vs. Commissioner<\/a>, 39 F. 2d 540 (2d Cir. 1930). Yes, 1930 and we still use it today. George Cohan gave us \u201cYankee Doodle Dandy\u201d and \u201cGive My Regards to Broadway\u201d, and he also gave us a tax deduction rule. His rule is simple- you can approximate your expenses and ultimately your business or rental property tax deduction. What?! No, it is not that simple.<\/p>\n<p>You must have corroborating evidence that demonstrates your expense. For example, as a public accounting firm, <strong><span style=\"color: #5d3fd3;\">WCG CPAs &amp; Advisors<\/span><\/strong> can demonstrate that we prepare so many tax returns which are so many pages in length, and therefore we can approximate our paper costs. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.law.cornell.edu\/cfr\/text\/26\/1.274-5T\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Treasury Regulations 1.274-5T(c)(3)<\/a> also gives latitude to the IRS to allow substantiation of a business expense by other means. Here is the blurb-<\/p>\n<div class=\"legal-bs\">\n<p>(3) Substantiation by other sufficient evidence\u2014(i) In general. If a taxpayer fails to establish to the satisfaction of the district director that he has substantially complied with the \u201cadequate records\u201d requirements of paragraph (c)(2) of this section with respect to an element of an expenditure or use, then, except as otherwise provided in this paragraph, the taxpayer must establish such element-<\/p>\n<p>(A) By his own statement, whether written or oral, containing specific information in detail as to such element; and<\/p>\n<p>(B) By other corrobative evidence sufficient to establish such element.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>The good news is that we\u2019ve been paperless for a while, so we don\u2019t have to worry about estimating our paper costs. One less thing to worry about like Forrest Gump and money.<\/p>\n<p>We have successfully used the Cohan rule in IRS examinations. We have also implemented it during tax preparation when records are incomplete or missing (i.e., one hot mess). Having said that, using estimates and approximations looks bad. Keep good records, please. Do not rely on the Cohan rule or some treasury regulation to save your butt.<\/p>\n<p>The Cohan rule or any type of estimation cannot be used for travel, business gifts and meals. All the good stuff needs strict record keeping habits. IRC Section 274(d) also states that listed property must be substantiated with proper documentation. Listed property includes automobiles, and equipment generally used in entertainment such as cameras and stereo equipment. Seems a bit outdated, but there you go. So, if you are a photographer who drives a car for business while entertaining guests, you will be a master at recordkeeping.<\/p>\n<p>A logbook or planner is very influential during an audit. When a client can show contemporaneous records in a planner that coincides with travel, meals and home office use, the audit lasts about 90 minutes as opposed to four hours with a deficiency notice at the end. Contemporaneous comes from Latin, and means existing or happening during the same period. In other words, as things happen in your world, write them down in a logbook or planner.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;25px&#8221;][vc_column_text css=&#8221;&#8221;]<style data-type=\"vc_shortcodes-custom-css\">#wd-69d2f9fcf009f .info-box-title{line-height:40px;font-size:30px;color:#473d3c;}#wd-69d2f9fcf009f .info-box-inner{line-height:26px;font-size:16px;color:#473d3c;}#wd-69d3e2e584de8 .info-box-title{line-height:40px;font-size:30px;color:#473d3c;}#wd-69d3e2e584de8 .info-box-inner{line-height:26px;font-size:16px;color:#473d3c;}#wd-68e97e561482c .info-box-title{line-height:40px;font-size:30px;color:#473d3c;}#wd-68e97e561482c .info-box-inner{line-height:26px;font-size:16px;color:#473d3c;}#wd-68460abfbd4d1 .info-box-title{line-height:60px;font-size:50px;color:#473d3c;}#wd-68460abfbd4d1 .info-box-inner{line-height:26px;font-size:16px;color:#473d3c;}#wd-6880833b7bd6b .info-box-title{line-height:26px;font-size:16px;color:#473d3c;}#wd-6880833b7bd6b .info-box-inner{line-height:22px;font-size:12px;color:#473d3c;}#wd-6880834fd8436 .info-box-title{line-height:26px;font-size:16px;color:#473d3c;}#wd-6880834fd8436 .info-box-inner{line-height:22px;font-size:12px;color:#473d3c;}#wd-6880835d3a0fb .info-box-title{line-height:26px;font-size:16px;color:#473d3c;}#wd-6880835d3a0fb .info-box-inner{line-height:22px;font-size:12px;color:#473d3c;}#wd-68bcf7fc8516a .info-box-title{line-height:40px;font-size:30px;color:#473d3c;}#wd-68bcf7fc8516a .info-box-inner{line-height:26px;font-size:16px;color:#473d3c;}#wd-68bcfc71da664 .info-box-title{line-height:46px;font-size:36px;color:#473d3c;}#wd-68bcfc71da664 .info-box-inner{line-height:26px;font-size:16px;color:#473d3c;}@media (max-width: 1199px) {#wd-69d2f9fcf009f .info-box-title{line-height:34px;font-size:24px;}#wd-69d2f9fcf009f .info-box-inner{line-height:24px;font-size:14px;}#wd-69d3e2e584de8 .info-box-title{line-height:34px;font-size:24px;}#wd-69d3e2e584de8 .info-box-inner{line-height:24px;font-size:14px;}#wd-68e97e561482c .info-box-title{line-height:34px;font-size:24px;}#wd-68e97e561482c .info-box-inner{line-height:24px;font-size:14px;}#wd-68460abfbd4d1 .info-box-title{line-height:50px;font-size:40px;}#wd-6880833b7bd6b .info-box-title{line-height:25px;font-size:15px;}#wd-6880834fd8436 .info-box-title{line-height:25px;font-size:15px;}#wd-6880835d3a0fb .info-box-title{line-height:25px;font-size:15px;}#wd-68bcf7fc8516a .info-box-title{line-height:34px;font-size:24px;}#wd-68bcf7fc8516a .info-box-inner{line-height:24px;font-size:14px;}#wd-68bcfc71da664 .info-box-title{line-height:36px;font-size:26px;}#wd-68bcfc71da664 .info-box-inner{line-height:24px;font-size:14px;}}@media (max-width: 767px) {#wd-69d2f9fcf009f .info-box-title{line-height:28px;font-size:18px;}#wd-69d2f9fcf009f .info-box-inner{line-height:24px;font-size:14px;}#wd-69d3e2e584de8 .info-box-title{line-height:28px;font-size:18px;}#wd-69d3e2e584de8 .info-box-inner{line-height:24px;font-size:14px;}#wd-68e97e561482c .info-box-title{line-height:28px;font-size:18px;}#wd-68e97e561482c .info-box-inner{line-height:24px;font-size:14px;}#wd-68460abfbd4d1 .info-box-title{line-height:40px;font-size:30px;}#wd-6880833b7bd6b .info-box-title{line-height:24px;font-size:14px;}#wd-6880834fd8436 .info-box-title{line-height:24px;font-size:14px;}#wd-6880835d3a0fb .info-box-title{line-height:24px;font-size:14px;}#wd-68bcf7fc8516a .info-box-title{line-height:28px;font-size:18px;}#wd-68bcf7fc8516a .info-box-inner{line-height:24px;font-size:14px;}#wd-68bcfc71da664 .info-box-title{line-height:28px;font-size:18px;}#wd-68bcfc71da664 .info-box-inner{line-height:24px;font-size:14px;}}<\/style><div class=\"wpb-content-wrapper\">[vc_row][vc_column]\t\t\t<div class=\"info-box-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t<div id=\"wd-69d2f9fcf009f\" class=\" wd-rs-69d2f9fcf009f wd-info-box wd-wpb text-center box-icon-align-top box-style- color-scheme- wd-bg-none border-btm-title kb \">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"info-box-content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"info-box-inner reset-last-child\"><p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em>Jason Watson, CPA, is a partner and the CEO of <strong>WCG CPAs &amp; Advisors,<\/strong> a boutique yet progressive tax, accounting and <\/em><em>rental property consultation and real estate CPA firm with over 90 team members and 7 partners headquartered in Colorado serving real estate investors worldwide.<\/em><\/p>\n<div style=\"display: flex; justify-content: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/jason-watson-cpa\/\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-17327 entered lazyloaded\" style=\"height: 35px!important; width: auto!important;\" src=\"https:\/\/wcginc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/linkedin-150x150-1.png.webp\" alt=\"Jason Watson CPA LinkedIn\" \/><\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<a href=\"mailto:jason@wcginc.com\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-thumbnail wp-image-17334 entered lazyloaded\" style=\"height: 35px!important; width: auto!important;\" src=\"https:\/\/wcginc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/mail-150x150-1.png.webp\" alt=\"Jason Watson CPA Email\" \/><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<style><\/style>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t[\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column]\t\t\t<div class=\"info-box-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t<div id=\"wd-69d3e2e584de8\" class=\" wd-rs-69d3e2e584de8 wd-info-box wd-wpb text-left box-icon-align-top box-style- color-scheme- wd-bg-none border-btm-title img-right kb \">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"info-box-content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"info-box-title title wd-font-weight-800 box-title-style-default font-primary wd-fontsize-m\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"I_Just_Got_A_Rental_What_Do_I_Do_2026_Edition\"><\/span>I Just Got A Rental, What Do I Do? 2026 Edition<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"info-box-inner reset-last-child\"><p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright wp-image-100749 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/wcginc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Web-and-Social-GFX-2026_300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"360\" \/>This KB article is an excerpt from our 530+ page book (yeah, thick, there are some picture pages, but no scratch and sniff) which was <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><strong>updated April 5, 2026<\/strong><\/span>, and is available in paperback from <a href=\"https:\/\/wcginc.com\/amazon-rental\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Amazon<\/a>, as an eBook for\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/wcginc.com\/kindle-rental\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Kindle<\/a>\u00a0and as a\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/wcginc.com\/pdf-rental\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">PDF<\/a>\u00a0from ClickBank. We used to publish with iTunes and Nook, but keeping up with two different formats was brutal. You can cruise through these KB articles online, click on the fancy buttons below or\u00a0<a href=\"\/business-services\/book\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">visit our webpage<\/a>\u00a0which provides more information.<\/p>\n<table class=\"purchase-table\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"\/amazon-rental\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-6657 aligncenter\" style=\"float: none;\" src=\"https:\/\/wcginc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/amazon-imageresized.png.webp\" alt=\"I Just Got A Rental, What Do I Do? 2025 Edition | Amazon version\" width=\"50\" height=\"50\" \/><\/a><\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"\/kindle-rental\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-6658\" style=\"float: none;\" src=\"https:\/\/wcginc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/kindle-imageresized.png.webp\" alt=\"I Just Got A Rental, What Do I Do? 2025 Edition | Kindle Version\" width=\"50\" height=\"50\" \/><\/a><\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"\/pdf-rental\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-6659 aligncenter\" style=\"float: none;\" src=\"https:\/\/wcginc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/PDFresized.png.webp\" alt=\"I Just Got A Rental, What Do I Do? 2025 Edition | PDF version\" width=\"50\" height=\"50\" \/><\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>$32.95<\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>$21.95<\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>$18.95<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<style><\/style>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t[\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column]\t\t\t<div class=\"info-box-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t<div id=\"wd-68e97e561482c\" class=\" wd-rs-68e97e561482c wd-info-box wd-wpb text-left box-icon-align-top box-style- color-scheme- wd-bg-none border-btm-title img-right kb \">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"info-box-content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"info-box-title title wd-font-weight-800 box-title-style-default font-primary wd-fontsize-m\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Rental_Expert_Pod_the_REP\"><\/span>Rental Expert Pod (the REP)<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"info-box-inner reset-last-child\"><p>WCG's tax team structure is built around Pods \u2014 small, agile groups of tax professionals (4-6 total) who embrace team camaraderie while achieving client intimacy. Each Pod is led by a seasoned tax manager or partner, and together they make up the core of our tax return preparation.<\/p>\n<p>For the 2026 tax season, we\u2019re thrilled to introduce the <a href=\"https:\/\/wcginc.com\/blog\/rental-expert-pod\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Rental Expert Pod<\/a> or REP for short. This is WCG\u2019s dedicated team of real estate CPAs and rental property tax specialists focused on optimizing your tax position, ensuring compliance, and helping you build long-term wealth through smart real estate strategies. [<a href=\"https:\/\/wcginc.com\/blog\/rental-expert-pod\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Learn More<\/a>]<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<style><\/style>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t[\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row equal_height=\"yes\" content_placement=\"top\" el_id=\"consultation-secc\" woodmart_css_id=\"6756f7d427735\" responsive_spacing=\"eyJwYXJhbV90eXBlIjoid29vZG1hcnRfcmVzcG9uc2l2ZV9zcGFjaW5nIiwic2VsZWN0b3JfaWQiOiI2NzU2ZjdkNDI3NzM1Iiwic2hvcnRjb2RlIjoidmNfcm93IiwiZGF0YSI6eyJ0YWJsZXQiOnt9LCJtb2JpbGUiOnt9fX0=\" mobile_bg_img_hidden=\"no\" tablet_bg_img_hidden=\"no\" woodmart_parallax=\"0\" woodmart_gradient_switch=\"no\" woodmart_box_shadow=\"no\" wd_z_index=\"no\" woodmart_disable_overflow=\"0\" row_reverse_mobile=\"0\" row_reverse_tablet=\"0\" el_class=\"kb-consult\"][vc_column]\t\t\t<div class=\"info-box-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t<div id=\"wd-68460c6336e7f\" class=\" wd-rs-68460c6336e7f wd-info-box wd-wpb text-left box-icon-align-top box-style- color-scheme- wd-bg-none border-btm-title kb-fix \">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"info-box-content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"info-box-title title box-title-style-default wd-fontsize-m\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Talk_to_a_Real_Estate_CPA_About_Your_Rental_Property\"><\/span>Talk to a Real Estate CPA About Your Rental Property<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"info-box-inner reset-last-child\"><p>Please use the form below to tell us a little about yourself, and what you have going on with your investments and wealth-building objectives. <strong>WCG CPAs &amp; Advisors<\/strong> are real estate CPAs, tax strategists and rental property consultants, and we look forward to talking to you!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t[vc_row_inner el_id=\"consultation-inner\" woodmart_css_id=\"66fd6caf92fc0\" responsive_spacing=\"eyJwYXJhbV90eXBlIjoid29vZG1hcnRfcmVzcG9uc2l2ZV9zcGFjaW5nIiwic2VsZWN0b3JfaWQiOiI2NmZkNmNhZjkyZmMwIiwic2hvcnRjb2RlIjoidmNfcm93X2lubmVyIiwiZGF0YSI6eyJ0YWJsZXQiOnt9LCJtb2JpbGUiOnt9fX0=\" mobile_bg_img_hidden=\"no\" tablet_bg_img_hidden=\"no\" woodmart_parallax=\"0\" woodmart_gradient_switch=\"no\" woodmart_box_shadow=\"no\" wd_z_index=\"no\" woodmart_disable_overflow=\"0\" row_reverse_mobile=\"0\" row_reverse_tablet=\"0\"][vc_column_inner][vc_raw_js el_class=\"defaultBot\"]JTNDc2NyaXB0JTIwdHlwZSUzRCUyMnRleHQlMkZqYXZhc2NyaXB0JTIyJTIwc3JjJTNEJTIyaHR0cHMlM0ElMkYlMkZ3Y2dpbmMuam90Zm9ybS5jb20lMkZqc2Zvcm0lMkYyNTE2NjU1MjUzNjk5NzElMjIlM0UlM0MlMkZzY3JpcHQlM0UlMEE=[\/vc_raw_js][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner]\t\t\t<div class=\"info-box-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t<div id=\"wd-68460abfbd4d1\" class=\" wd-rs-68460abfbd4d1 wd-info-box wd-wpb text-left box-icon-align-top box-style- color-scheme- wd-bg-none border-btm-title defaultBot \">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"info-box-content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"info-box-inner reset-last-child\"><p>The tax advisors, business consultants and rental property experts at <strong>WCG CPAs &amp; Advisors<\/strong> are not salespeople; we are not putting lipstick on a pig expecting you to love it. Our job remains being professionally detached, giving you information and letting you decide within our ethical guidelines and your risk profiles.<\/p>\n<p>We see far too many crazy schemes and half-baked ideas from attorneys and wealth managers. In some cases, they are good ideas. In most cases, all the entities, layering and mixed ownership is only the illusion of precision. As Chris Rock says, just because you can drive your car with your feet doesn\u2019t make it a good idea. In other words, let\u2019s not automatically convert \u201cyou can\u201d into \u201cyou must.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Let\u2019s chat so you can be smart about it.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>We typically schedule a 20-minute complimentary quick chat with one of our Partners or our amazing Senior Tax Professionals to determine if we are a good fit for each other, and how an engagement with our team looks. Tax returns only? Business advisory? Tax strategy and planning? Rental property support?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<style><\/style>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t[vc_row_inner equal_height=\"yes\" el_class=\"boxes--pack\" woodmart_css_id=\"673b5f334f247\" responsive_spacing=\"eyJwYXJhbV90eXBlIjoid29vZG1hcnRfcmVzcG9uc2l2ZV9zcGFjaW5nIiwic2VsZWN0b3JfaWQiOiI2NzNiNWYzMzRmMjQ3Iiwic2hvcnRjb2RlIjoidmNfcm93X2lubmVyIiwiZGF0YSI6eyJ0YWJsZXQiOnt9LCJtb2JpbGUiOnt9fX0=\" mobile_bg_img_hidden=\"no\" tablet_bg_img_hidden=\"no\" woodmart_parallax=\"0\" woodmart_gradient_switch=\"no\" woodmart_box_shadow=\"no\" wd_z_index=\"no\" woodmart_disable_overflow=\"0\" row_reverse_mobile=\"0\" row_reverse_tablet=\"0\"][vc_column_inner width=\"1\/3\"]\t\t\t<div class=\"info-box-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t<div id=\"wd-6880833b7bd6b\" class=\" wd-rs-6880833b7bd6b wd-info-box wd-wpb text-left box-icon-align-top box-style- color-scheme- wd-bg-none business-boxes \">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"box-icon-wrapper  box-with-icon box-icon-simple\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"info-box-icon\">\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"622\" height=\"622\" src=\"https:\/\/wcginc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Text-WCG-Offices-1.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"Text WCG Offices\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"info-box-content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<h4 class=\"info-box-title title wd-font-weight-600 box-title-style-default font-primary wd-fontsize-m\">Text WCG Offices<\/h4>\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"info-box-inner reset-last-child\"><p>Need to get in touch through a quick text?\u00a0 We\u2019ll respond back within a day and get going!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"wd-info-box-link wd-fill\" aria-label=\"Infobox link\" href=\"sms:+17193452100?&amp;body=Hey%20WCG!%20Please%20call%20me%20to%20discuss%20your%20CPA%20services\" title=\"\"><\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<style><\/style>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t[\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=\"1\/3\"]\t\t\t<div class=\"info-box-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t<div id=\"wd-6880834fd8436\" class=\" wd-rs-6880834fd8436 wd-info-box wd-wpb text-left box-icon-align-top box-style- color-scheme- wd-bg-none business-boxes \">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"box-icon-wrapper  box-with-icon box-icon-simple\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"info-box-icon\">\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"622\" height=\"622\" src=\"https:\/\/wcginc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Chat-Our-Amazing-Team-1.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"Chat our amazing team\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"info-box-content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<h4 class=\"info-box-title title wd-font-weight-600 box-title-style-default font-primary wd-fontsize-m\">Call Our Amazing Team<\/h4>\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"info-box-inner reset-last-child\"><p class=\" \">If you need to speak to a tax professional now, give us a call and we'll get you connected.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"wd-info-box-link wd-fill\" aria-label=\"Infobox link\" href=\"tel:719-387-9800\" title=\"\"><\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<style><\/style>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t[\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=\"1\/3\"]\t\t\t<div class=\"info-box-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t<div id=\"wd-6880835d3a0fb\" class=\" wd-rs-6880835d3a0fb wd-info-box wd-wpb text-left box-icon-align-top box-style- color-scheme- wd-bg-none business-boxes nav-button-chat \">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"box-icon-wrapper  box-with-icon box-icon-simple\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"info-box-icon\">\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"622\" height=\"622\" src=\"https:\/\/wcginc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Chat-With-a-Tax-Pro-2.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"Chat with a tax pro\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"info-box-content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<h4 class=\"info-box-title title wd-font-weight-600 box-title-style-default font-primary wd-fontsize-m\">Chat With a Tax Pro<\/h4>\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"info-box-inner reset-last-child\"><p>Taxes can be tricky. Chat with a WCG human now and get questions answered.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<style><\/style>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t[\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row equal_height=\"yes\" content_placement=\"top\" woodmart_css_id=\"684abef7ecaa9\" responsive_spacing=\"eyJwYXJhbV90eXBlIjoid29vZG1hcnRfcmVzcG9uc2l2ZV9zcGFjaW5nIiwic2VsZWN0b3JfaWQiOiI2ODRhYmVmN2VjYWE5Iiwic2hvcnRjb2RlIjoidmNfcm93IiwiZGF0YSI6eyJ0YWJsZXQiOnt9LCJtb2JpbGUiOnt9fX0=\" mobile_bg_img_hidden=\"no\" tablet_bg_img_hidden=\"no\" woodmart_parallax=\"0\" woodmart_gradient_switch=\"no\" woodmart_box_shadow=\"no\" wd_z_index=\"no\" woodmart_disable_overflow=\"0\" row_reverse_mobile=\"0\" row_reverse_tablet=\"0\" el_class=\"kb-consult\"][vc_column]\t\t\t<div class=\"info-box-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t<div id=\"wd-68bcf7fc8516a\" class=\" wd-rs-68bcf7fc8516a wd-info-box wd-wpb text-left box-icon-align-top box-style- color-scheme- wd-bg-none border-btm-title \">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"info-box-content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"info-box-title title wd-font-weight-600 box-title-style-default font-primary wd-fontsize-m\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Schedule_Discovery_Meeting_Now\"><\/span>Schedule Discovery Meeting Now<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"info-box-inner reset-last-child\"><\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<style><\/style>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t[vc_row_inner content_placement=\"middle\" el_class=\"client-review-secs box--card\" woodmart_css_id=\"672e712482714\" responsive_spacing=\"eyJwYXJhbV90eXBlIjoid29vZG1hcnRfcmVzcG9uc2l2ZV9zcGFjaW5nIiwic2VsZWN0b3JfaWQiOiI2NzJlNzEyNDgyNzE0Iiwic2hvcnRjb2RlIjoidmNfcm93X2lubmVyIiwiZGF0YSI6eyJ0YWJsZXQiOnt9LCJtb2JpbGUiOnt9fX0=\" mobile_bg_img_hidden=\"no\" tablet_bg_img_hidden=\"no\" woodmart_parallax=\"0\" woodmart_gradient_switch=\"no\" woodmart_box_shadow=\"no\" wd_z_index=\"no\" woodmart_disable_overflow=\"0\" row_reverse_mobile=\"0\" row_reverse_tablet=\"0\"][vc_column_inner width=\"1\/3\" woodmart_css_id=\"671780b35b49a\" parallax_scroll=\"no\" woodmart_sticky_column=\"false\" wd_collapsible_content_switcher=\"no\" wd_column_role_offcanvas_desktop=\"no\" wd_column_role_offcanvas_tablet=\"no\" wd_column_role_offcanvas_mobile=\"no\" wd_column_role_content_desktop=\"no\" wd_column_role_content_tablet=\"no\" wd_column_role_content_mobile=\"no\" mobile_bg_img_hidden=\"no\" tablet_bg_img_hidden=\"no\" woodmart_parallax=\"0\" woodmart_box_shadow=\"no\" responsive_spacing=\"eyJwYXJhbV90eXBlIjoid29vZG1hcnRfcmVzcG9uc2l2ZV9zcGFjaW5nIiwic2VsZWN0b3JfaWQiOiI2NzE3ODBiMzViNDlhIiwic2hvcnRjb2RlIjoidmNfY29sdW1uX2lubmVyIiwiZGF0YSI6eyJ0YWJsZXQiOnt9LCJtb2JpbGUiOnt9fX0=\" wd_z_index=\"no\"]\t\t<div id=\"wd-68874e76cd7bc\" class=\"wd-image wd-wpb wd-rs-68874e76cd7bc text-left \">\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/wcginc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/265518_2057667071_tax_consultation_300-1.webp\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"Request a Meeting with WCG Inc\" \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t[\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=\"2\/3\" woodmart_css_id=\"671780c0415fb\" parallax_scroll=\"no\" woodmart_sticky_column=\"false\" wd_collapsible_content_switcher=\"no\" wd_column_role_offcanvas_desktop=\"no\" wd_column_role_offcanvas_tablet=\"no\" wd_column_role_offcanvas_mobile=\"no\" wd_column_role_content_desktop=\"no\" wd_column_role_content_tablet=\"no\" wd_column_role_content_mobile=\"no\" mobile_bg_img_hidden=\"no\" tablet_bg_img_hidden=\"no\" woodmart_parallax=\"0\" woodmart_box_shadow=\"no\" responsive_spacing=\"eyJwYXJhbV90eXBlIjoid29vZG1hcnRfcmVzcG9uc2l2ZV9zcGFjaW5nIiwic2VsZWN0b3JfaWQiOiI2NzE3ODBjMDQxNWZiIiwic2hvcnRjb2RlIjoidmNfY29sdW1uX2lubmVyIiwiZGF0YSI6eyJ0YWJsZXQiOnt9LCJtb2JpbGUiOnt9fX0=\" wd_z_index=\"no\"]\t\t\t<div class=\"info-box-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t<div id=\"wd-68bcfc71da664\" class=\" wd-rs-68bcfc71da664 wd-info-box wd-wpb text-left box-icon-align-top box-style- color-scheme- wd-bg-none with-btn box-btn-static \">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"info-box-content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"info-box-inner reset-last-child\"><p>Ready to schedule now and talk all things rentals? Let's do it! Here is a link to a Discovery Meeting with one of our Partners or Senior Tax Professionals to understand your tax footprint and objectives, and how <strong>WCG CPAs &amp; Advisors<\/strong> might help.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"info-btn-wrapper\"><div id=\"wd-6a31cb579e78a\" class=\"  wd-button-wrapper text-left\"><a href=\"https:\/\/calendly.com\/wcg-cpas-advisors\/discovery-meeting-instant\" title=\"\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"btn btn-style-default btn-shape-rectangle btn-size-default\">Schedule Meeting<\/a><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<style><\/style>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t[\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/div>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Let\u2019s briefly discuss record keeping, and then jump into a famous New York entertainer named Cohan who ultimately provided a nifty rule that can be used during an IRS audit. To be able to demonstrate a business or rental property deduction you need to show the date, the amount and the person or business you paid.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":31815,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"epkb_post_type_3_category":[179],"epkb_post_type_3_tag":[],"class_list":["post-13496","epkb_post_type_3","type-epkb_post_type_3","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","epkb_post_type_3_category-chap-9-rental-property-tax-deductions"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.8 (Yoast SEO v27.8) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Cohan Rule For Rental Property Owners - Rental Property Deductions<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"To demonstrate a rental property deduction you need to show the date, the amount and the person or business you paid. Or use estimates under Cohan rule.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/wcginc.com\/kb-rental-property\/cohan-rule-for-rental-property-owners\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Cohan Rule For Rental Property Owners\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"To demonstrate a rental property deduction you need to show the date, the amount and the person or business you paid. Or use estimates under Cohan rule.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/wcginc.com\/kb-rental-property\/cohan-rule-for-rental-property-owners\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"WCG CPAs &amp; Advisors\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-01-27T08:22:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/wcginc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/298257_25366231_cohan_rule_300.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"290\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Cohan Rule For Rental Property Owners - Rental Property Deductions","description":"To demonstrate a rental property deduction you need to show the date, the amount and the person or business you paid. 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Or use estimates under Cohan rule.","og_url":"https:\/\/wcginc.com\/kb-rental-property\/cohan-rule-for-rental-property-owners\/","og_site_name":"WCG CPAs &amp; Advisors","article_modified_time":"2026-01-27T08:22:00+00:00","og_image":[{"width":200,"height":290,"url":"https:\/\/wcginc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/298257_25366231_cohan_rule_300.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/wcginc.com\/kb-rental-property\/cohan-rule-for-rental-property-owners\/","url":"https:\/\/wcginc.com\/kb-rental-property\/cohan-rule-for-rental-property-owners\/","name":"Cohan Rule For Rental Property Owners - Rental Property Deductions","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/wcginc.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/wcginc.com\/kb-rental-property\/cohan-rule-for-rental-property-owners\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/wcginc.com\/kb-rental-property\/cohan-rule-for-rental-property-owners\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/wcginc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/298257_25366231_cohan_rule_300.jpg","datePublished":"2024-09-28T20:33:42+00:00","dateModified":"2026-01-27T08:22:00+00:00","description":"To demonstrate a rental property deduction you need to show the date, the amount and the person or business you paid. 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