Good records are your first line of defense in an IRS audit. For Campo rental property owners, the most critical records are: basis documentation (to calculate gain on sale), depreciation schedules (to track accumulated depreciation and recapture), expense receipts (to support deductions), and time logs (for REPS or STR loophole claims). KDA’s real estate CPA team provides clients with a complete record-keeping framework and conducts annual reviews to ensure your documentation is audit-ready.

The STR loophole is the #1 tax strategy for high-income W-2 earners in 2026, according to leading real estate CPAs. By purchasing an Airbnb or VRBO property with an average stay under 7 days and materially participating in its management, you can generate large paper losses (primarily from cost segregation and bonus depreciation) that directly offset your salary or business income. KDA’s Campo team will analyze your income profile, model the potential tax savings, and structure your STR investment to maximize the loophole.

The 721 exchange is an advanced exit strategy for Campo real estate investors who want to: (1) defer capital gains tax; (2) exit active property management; (3) diversify into a large institutional real estate portfolio; and (4) maintain liquidity through publicly traded REIT shares. By contributing your property to a REIT’s operating partnership, you receive OP units (tax-deferred) that can be converted to REIT shares over time. KDA’s real estate CPA team will model the 721 exchange alongside 1031 exchanges and DST investments to find the optimal exit strategy.

Yes, but with important conditions. A short-term rental qualifies for a 1031 exchange if it has been held for investment or business purposes — not primarily for personal use. The IRS requires that you have held the property for at least 24 months before the exchange, with rental activity in each of the two 12-month periods, and that personal use does not exceed the greater of 14 days or 10% of the days rented. KDA’s Campo team will review your STR’s rental history and personal use records to confirm 1031 eligibility before you proceed.

California’s top income tax rate of 13.3% is the highest state income tax rate in the nation, making tax planning especially critical for Campo real estate investors. Combined with the 37% federal rate, high-income CA investors face a combined marginal rate of 50.3% on ordinary income. This makes strategies like cost segregation (converting ordinary income to deferred capital gains), 1031 exchanges (deferring all gain), and REPS/STR loophole (converting passive losses to active deductions) even more valuable in California than in lower-tax states.

For Campo investors with highly appreciated land, a ground lease is a powerful alternative to selling. Instead of triggering capital gains on the land sale, you lease the land for 50–100 years, receiving annual rent payments taxed as ordinary income. The land remains in your estate and passes to heirs with a stepped-up basis. The tenant builds and depreciates improvements on your land. KDA’s Campo real estate CPA team will model the after-tax comparison between selling the land outright and entering a ground lease arrangement.

For Campo real estate investors who do any flipping or development, the dealer vs. investor distinction requires careful planning. Dealer income is taxed at ordinary rates (up to 37%) plus self-employment tax (15.3%) — a combined rate that can exceed 50% in California. Investor income is taxed at capital gains rates (15–20%) with no SE tax. The solution is entity separation: use one LLC for flips (accept dealer treatment) and a separate LLC for long-term holds (maintain investor status). KDA’s Campo real estate CPA team will design the optimal entity structure for your mixed activities.

The $25,000 passive loss allowance provides meaningful relief for lower-income rental property owners, but it’s largely irrelevant for high-income Campo investors. If your AGI exceeds $150,000, the allowance is completely phased out. For investors above this threshold, the strategies that matter are: (1) STR loophole for short-term rental losses; (2) REPS election for full-time real estate professionals; or (3) accumulating passive losses to offset future passive income or release upon property sale. KDA’s team will map your specific passive loss situation.

A 1031 exchange is the most powerful wealth-building tool available to real estate investors. By deferring capital gains and depreciation recapture, you keep 100% of your equity working for you instead of paying 20–37% to the IRS. KDA’s Campo team coordinates every aspect of your 1031 exchange — identifying replacement properties, working with qualified intermediaries, meeting the 45-day identification and 180-day closing deadlines, and ensuring full compliance with IRS requirements.

The 3.8% NIIT is an additional tax on top of regular income tax and capital gains tax for high-income real estate investors. On $500,000 in rental income or capital gains, NIIT adds $19,000 to your tax bill. The most effective avoidance strategy for Campo investors is qualifying for Real Estate Professional Status (REPS) — which converts rental income from passive (subject to NIIT) to non-passive (exempt from NIIT). The STR loophole provides the same NIIT exemption for qualifying short-term rental income. KDA’s team will determine which strategy eliminates your NIIT exposure.