IRS APPROACHES 1 & 2
OFFICE CONDOMINIUMS

A Cost Segregation Study Can Move 20–30% of Your Office Condo Into Faster Depreciation.

When you buy an office condo, you buy airspace — not land. The full purchase price is your depreciable basis. Every dollar qualifies for analysis.

20–30%
Typical Reclassification Rate
39 yr
Default Without Study
5-yr / 15-yr
Accelerated Recovery
100%
Bonus Depreciation OBBBA 2025

Free proposal — 24-hour response · All 50 states · Unlimited audit defense — no additional fee, ever

UNDERSTANDING THE OPPORTUNITY

Why Office Condo Is a Cost Segregation Opportunity.

When you buy an office condominium, you are buying airspace — not land. The full purchase price is your depreciable basis.

This matters because in most commercial real estate, land value is excluded from the depreciable basis before the study begins. Land does not depreciate. In most markets, land allocation is 15–35% of value — meaning a significant portion of your purchase price produces no depreciation at all.

Office condos have no land allocation. Every dollar of your purchase price qualifies for depreciation analysis.

On a $1,500,000 office condo, the entire $1,500,000 is the depreciable basis. A fully engineered study typically finds $300,000–$450,000 in 5-year and 15-year property — delivering $110,000–$165,000 in Year 1 federal tax savings at a 37% rate. For medical professionals, attorneys, and accountants who own their office space, the fee-to-benefit ratio is among the strongest in commercial real estate.

💡 The Teaching Moment
Office condos have no land allocation — the full purchase price is the depreciable basis. This makes the cost segregation math more straightforward and the fee-to-benefit ratio stronger than most other commercial property types.
Year 1 Example Calculation
How We Get to $138,750
Purchase Price
$1,500,000
Less: Land ValueOffice condo — no land allocation
$0
Depreciable Basis100% of purchase price
$1,500,000
Reclassified to 5-yr & 15-yr (25% avg)Clean, full-basis analysis
$375,000
100% Bonus Depreciation (OBBBA 2025)Full deduction Year 1
$375,000
Federal Tax RateTop marginal rate
× 37%
Year 1 Federal Income Tax Savings
$138,750
IRS ASSET CLASSIFICATIONS — OFFICE CONDO

What Reclassifies in an Office Condo Property.

These are the IRS-verified asset classes under Rev. Proc. 87-56 and supporting case law — confirmed across 16,000+ studies. Every component is documented to its correct recovery period with engineering justification, defensible under IRS examination.

Personal Property · Bonus Eligible
5-Year & 7-Year
100% Bonus Depreciation in Year 1
  • Specialty & task lighting fixtures
  • Security systems & access control
  • Carpet & resilient flooring
  • Kitchenette & break room appliances
  • Kitchenette fixtures & appliances
  • Dedicated electrical for unit systems
  • Interior signage & wayfinding
Land Improvements · Bonus Eligible
15-Year
100% Bonus Depreciation in Year 1
  • Common area site work allocation
  • Parking structure improvement allocation
  • Landscaping & common area features
  • Exterior lighting allocation
Real Property · No Bonus
39 yr
Straight-line — standard schedule
  • Building shell, framing & foundation
  • Roof structure & membrane
  • HVAC system & main distribution
  • Plumbing rough-in & main lines
  • Elevators & fire suppression
Cost Seg America recovers $60,000–$150,000 more in deductions per $1 million of depreciable basis than studies priced under $2,900 — because our team counts every single component in your building instead of applying industry averages. 125+ IRS audits. Zero losses. $0 ever returned.
METHODOLOGY

The IRS Named a Preferred Methodology. We Use It on Every Study.

Cost Seg America engineers office condominium cost segregation studies with one foundational advantage over all other commercial property types: no land allocation. The full purchase price is the depreciable basis. Our engineering team analyzes 100 cents of every dollar spent. The 5-year and 7-year personal property identified in an office condo study — lighting, security, access control, flooring — produces accelerated deductions against a depreciable basis that includes every dollar of the purchase price.

The IRS publishes a 347-page Audit Technique Guide on cost segregation. It identifies Approaches 1 and 2 as the preferred methodologies. Studies priced under $2,900 recover $60,000–$150,000 less per $1 million of depreciable basis than a fully engineered study. Cost Seg America has used IRS Approaches 1 and 2 on every study for 24 years. 125+ IRS audits. Zero losses. $0 ever returned. The methodology is why.

IRS Approach 5 — Industry Average Modeling
  • Software modeling using industry cost factors — not your actual building
  • 5-year and 7-year components estimated, not individually counted
  • No component-by-component engineering documentation produced
  • The IRS Audit Technique Guide identifies Approaches 1 & 2 as preferred
  • Studies under $2,900 recover $60,000–$150,000 less per $1M
  • When examined, there is no engineering record behind the numbers
Cost Seg America — IRS Approaches 1 & 2
  • Every 5-year and 7-year component individually counted, measured, and valued
  • Direct cost identification from your actual construction records and plans
  • Engineering documentation for every IRS classification — component by component
  • 125+ IRS audits — every classification examined and upheld
  • Zero losses — $0 ever returned to the IRS
  • Written responses & phone representation — no time limit, no hour cap, no additional fee, ever
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Office Condo Cost Segregation — Questions & Answers.

What is cost segregation and how does it work for office condo properties?+

Cost segregation is an IRS-approved engineering analysis that reclassifies components of your office condo from the default 39 yr straight-line depreciation schedule to three shorter recovery periods: 5-year personal property, 7-year personal property, and 15-year land improvements. Office condos have no land allocation — the full purchase price is the depreciable basis, which makes the math more straightforward than most commercial property types.

With 100% bonus depreciation active under OBBBA for property placed in service after January 19, 2025, every qualifying component is fully deductible in Year 1. Cost Seg America consistently recovers $60,000–$150,000 more in deductions per $1 million of depreciable basis than studies priced under $2,900.

What is the typical reclassification rate for office condo?+

The typical reclassification rate for office condo is 20–30% of the depreciable basis. Because office condos have no land allocation, the depreciable basis equals the full purchase price. On a $1.5M office condo, this translates to approximately $138,750 in Year 1 federal income tax savings at a 37% rate.

How does 100% bonus depreciation change the math on an office condo property?+

The One Big Beautiful Budget Act (OBBBA) restored 100% bonus depreciation for qualified property placed in service after January 19, 2025. With 100% bonus depreciation, every qualifying 5-year, 7-year, and 15-year component identified in your study is fully deductible in the year you place the property in service. Your CPA determines your eligibility.

Can I do a lookback study on an office condo I already own?+

Yes. The IRS allows you to go back and claim deductions you never took using a Form 3115 change in accounting method — without amending previous returns. The catch-up deductions are taken entirely in the current tax year. Cost Seg America applies lookback analysis as standard practice. We partner with a trusted CPA specialist who handles the Form 3115 filing.

What is the minimum property value to qualify?+

Cost Seg America's minimum qualifying property value is $200,000. Below this threshold, the engineering cost typically exceeds the tax benefit. Above $200,000, the fee-to-benefit ratio is consistently favorable and grows substantially with property value.

What does unlimited audit defense mean — is it really included?+

Unlimited audit defense means if the IRS examines your cost segregation study — this year, five years from now, or ten years from now — Cost Seg America responds. Written responses and phone representation. No time limit. No hour cap. No additional fee. Ever.

In 24+ years and 125+ IRS audits, Cost Seg America has never lost an audit and has never returned a dollar to the IRS.

THE RECORD THAT MATTERS

Built on 24 Years of Defending Every Dollar.

Cost Seg America doesn't just find the deductions — we document them to survive the most demanding IRS examination.

16,000+
Studies Completed
125+
IRS Audits Defended
ZERO
Audits Lost
$0
Ever Returned to IRS
24+
Years in Business
EXPLORE OTHER PROPERTY TYPES

Cost Segregation Studies for Related Property Types.