• Who We Are
    • Firm Overview
    • Our Team
    • International
    • Life at Botwinick
  • What We Do
    • Accounting
    • Assurance & Attestation
    • Business Consulting & Advisory
    • Contract Compliance
    • Forensic Accounting
    • Tax Compliance & Planning
  • Industries We Serve
    • Contractors
    • Dental Practices
    • Distribution, Logistics, & Warehousing
    • Manufacturing
    • Medical
    • Professional Services
    • Real Estate
    • Retail
    • Sports & Entertainment
    • Tech
  • Work With Us
  • Insights
  • Client Access
  • Contact
  • Client Login
  • Pay Online
  • Visit Our Office
  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
    (201) 909-0090
Botwinick Logo
  • Who We Are
    • Firm Overview
    • Our Team
    • International
    • Life at Botwinick
  • What We Do
    • Accounting
    • Assurance & Attestation
    • Business Consulting & Advisory
    • Contract Compliance
    • Forensic Accounting
    • Tax Compliance & Planning
  • Industries We Serve
    • Contractors
    • Dental Practices
    • Distribution, Logistics, & Warehousing
    • Manufacturing
    • Medical
    • Professional Services
    • Real Estate
    • Retail
    • Sports & Entertainment
    • Tech
  • Work With Us
  • Insights
  • Client Access
  • Contact
  • Show Search
Hide Search

Blogs

Buying A New Business Vehicle? A Heavy SUV Is A Tax-Smart Choice

Alex 02/27/2023

If you’re buying or replacing a vehicle that you’ll use in your business, be aware that a heavy SUV may provide a more generous tax break this year than you’d get from a smaller vehicle. The reason has to do with how smaller business cars are depreciated for tax purposes.

Depreciation rules

Business cars are subject to more restrictive tax depreciation rules than those that apply to other depreciable assets. Under the so-called “luxury auto” rules, depreciation deductions are artificially “capped.” Those caps also extend to the alternative deduction that a taxpayer can claim if it elects to use Section 179 expensing for all or part of the cost of a business car. (It allows you to write off an asset in the year it’s placed in service.)

These rules include smaller trucks or vans built on truck chassis that are treated as cars. For most cars that are subject to the caps and that are first placed in service in the calendar year 2023, the maximum depreciation and/or expensing deductions are:

  • $20,200 for the first tax year in its recovery period (2023 for calendar-year taxpayers);
  • $19,500 for the second tax year;
  • $11,700 for the third tax year; and
  • $6,960 for each succeeding tax year.

Generally, the effect is to extend the number of years it takes to fully depreciate the vehicle.

Because of the restrictions for cars, you may be better off from a tax timing perspective if you replace your business car with a heavy SUV instead of another car. That’s because the caps on annual depreciation and expensing deductions for passenger automobiles don’t apply to trucks or vans that are rated at more than 6,000 pounds gross (loaded) vehicle weight. This includes large SUVs, many of which are priced over $50,000.

The result is that in most cases, you’ll be able to write off a majority of the cost of a new SUV used entirely for business purposes by utilizing bonus and regular depreciation in the year you place it into service. For 2023, bonus depreciation is available at 80%, but is being phased down to zero over the next few years.

If you consider electing Section 179 expensing for all or part of the cost of an SUV, you need to know that an inflation-adjusted limit, separate from the general caps described above, applies ($28,900 for an SUV placed in service in tax years beginning in 2023, up from $27,000 for an SUV placed in service in tax years beginning in 2022). There’s also an aggregate dollar limit for all assets elected to be expensed in the year that would apply. Following the expensing election, you would then depreciate the remainder of the cost under the usual rules without regard to general annual caps.

Please note that the tax benefits described above are all subject to adjustment for non-business use. Also, if business use of an SUV doesn’t exceed 50% of total use, the SUV won’t be eligible for the expensing election and would have to be depreciated on a straight-line method over a six-tax-year period.

Contact us for more details about this opportunity to get hefty tax write-offs if you buy a heavy SUV for business.

© 2023

FAQs

How do tax depreciation rules differ for business-use vehicles versus personal-use vehicles?

The depreciation caps for business-use vehicles are lower than those for personal-use vehicles. This means it will take longer to fully depreciate a business-use vehicle than a personal-use vehicle.

What is the tax advantage of purchasing a heavy SUV rather than a lighter business vehicle?

A heavy, business-use SUV is a tax-smart choice compared to a lighter business vehicle because the annual depreciation caps that apply to lighter business vehicles do not apply to vehicles rated over 6,000 pounds. The result is that in most cases, you’ll be able to write off a majority of the cost of a new SUV used entirely for business purposes by utilizing bonus and regular depreciation in the year you place it into service.

What are the requirements for a heavy SUV to qualify for the expensing election?

In order for a heavy SUV to qualify for the expensing election, it must be rated over 6,000 pounds and must be used for business-related activities more than 50% of the time.

Are there any tax expensing limits for heavy SUVs?

Yes. The inflation-adjusted limit for heavy SUVs is $28,900 for SUVs placed in service in 2023. There’s also an aggregate dollar limit for all assets elected to be expensed in the year that would apply. Following the expensing election, you would then depreciate the remainder of the cost under the usual rules without regard to general annual caps.

Share : Facebook Twitter Email

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Related Posts

2023 Q4 Tax Calendar: Key Deadlines For Businesses And Other Employers

09/25/2023 . Business Consulting and Advisory

Here are some of the key tax-related deadlines affecting businesses and other employers during the fourth quarter of 2023. Keep in mind that this list isn’t all-inclusive, so there may be additional deadlines that apply to you. Contact us to ensure …

Read More about 2023 Q4 Tax Calendar: Key Deadlines For Businesses And Other Employers

It’s Important To Understand How Taxes Factor Into M&A Transactions

09/19/2023 . Business Consulting and Advisory

In recent years, merger and acquisition activity has been strong in many industries. If your business is considering merging with or acquiring another business, it’s important to understand how the transaction will be taxed under current …

Read More about It’s Important To Understand How Taxes Factor Into M&A Transactions

Update On Depreciating Business Assets

09/07/2023 . Business Consulting and Advisory, Tax Compliance & Planning

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act liberalized the rules for depreciating business assets. However, the amounts change every year due to inflation adjustments. And due to high inflation, the adjustments for 2023 were big. Here are the numbers that small …

Read More about Update On Depreciating Business Assets

Subscribe to our Newsletter

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
Botwinick Logo

Quick Links

  • Home
  • Who We Are
  • What We Do
  • Industries We Serve
  • Work With Us
  • Insights
  • Client Access
  • Contact

Contact Us

365 West Passaic Street

Suite 310

Rochelle Park, NJ 07662

info@botwinick.com
(201) 909-0090
(201) 909-8533

Follow Us

Visit Us

Footer Map
© 2023 Botwinick & Company, LLC. All Rights Reserved. | Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions
Website Design & Development by SHJ
  • Client Login

  • Pay Online

  • Visit Our Office

  • LinkedIn

  • Facebook