Modified Accelerated Cost Recovery System (MACRS)

Definition of "Modified Accelerated Cost Recovery System (MACRS)"

Term given to two depreciation systems defined by the Internal Revenue Service:

  1. The main system is called the General Depreciation System (GDS). Under GDS, most property is assigned to eight property classes based on their class lives. These property classes provide the recovery period to be used by establishing the number of years over which the basis of an item in a class is recovered.
  2. The Alternative Depreciation System (ADS) generally provides for a longer recovery period and uses only the straight line method of depreciation to figure your tax deduction.


Both systems establish conventions determining how many months property can be depreciated in the first year it is placed in service and in the year of disposition.

  1. 20-year property. This class includes property such as farm buildings.
  2. Residential rental property. This class is comprised of rental buildings or structures for which 80% or more of the gross rental income is from dwelling units. Examples are living in a house or apartment. It excludes hotels and motels. Residential rental property is depreciated over 27.5 years.
  3. Nonresidential real property. This class includes real property that is not residential rental property. This property is depreciated over 31.5 years.

image of a real estate dictionary page

Have a question or comment?

We're here to help.

*** Your email address will remain confidential.
 

 

Popular Real Estate Terms

The definition of the Environmental Protection Agency can be explained by what the agency does. This independent executive agency works for the United States federal government and is ...

The Real Estate Settlement Procedure Act (RESPA) is a piece of law passed by the US Congress in 1974 to protect homebuyers and home sellers against bad settlement practices. The Real ...

Kind of siding for wood frame houses where the joints in the usually vertical siding are covered by narrow strips of wood called battens. The battens are nailed over the joints. ...

When a mortgage loan is provided to a borrower, the lender establishes a fund called a tax and insurance escrow to accumulate the debtor's monthly payments for property taxes and insurance ...

Legal order for a person to present at a deposition or trial documents in his possession, such as related to a real estate transaction. ...

The smallest lot area required for building under the municipal zoning code. For example, a municipal zoning code requires all building lots to have a minimum lot area of 1/4 of an acre in ...

Heating system hidden behind special panels, the walls, or the ceiling. Can use electric heating elements, hot air, or hot water pipes. ...

The definition of low-income housing is any house that is either rented or owned by an individual or family that has a monthly household income that does not exceed a certain percentage of ...

The slope of surface inclination normally expressed as a percentage. The gradient is determined by dividing the surface change by the length of the surface ...

Popular Real Estate Questions