{
“@context”: “https://schema.org”,
“@type”: “ProfessionalService”,
“name”: “KDA Inc. u2014 Real Estate CPA Irvine”,
“description”: “Specialized real estate CPA services for Irvine, California investors. Cost segregation, 1031 exchanges, REPS, STR loophole, and entity structuring.”,
“url”: “https://kdainc.com/real-estate-cpa-irvine-ca”,
“telephone”: “+1-800-KDA-TAXES”,
“areaServed”: {
“@type”: “City”,
“name”: “Irvine”,
“containedInPlace”: {
“@type”: “State”,
“name”: “California”
},
“postalCode”: “92618”
},
“serviceType”: [
“Real Estate CPA”,
“Cost Segregation Analysis”,
“1031 Exchange Planning”,
“Real Estate Professional Status Qualification”,
“Short-Term Rental Tax Strategy”,
“Real Estate Entity Structuring”
],
“hasOfferCatalog”: {
“@type”: “OfferCatalog”,
“name”: “Real Estate Tax Services”,
“itemListElement”: [
{
“@type”: “Offer”,
“itemOffered”: {
“@type”: “Service”,
“name”: “Cost Segregation Study”
}
},
{
“@type”: “Offer”,
“itemOffered”: {
“@type”: “Service”,
“name”: “1031 Exchange Planning”
}
},
{
“@type”: “Offer”,
“itemOffered”: {
“@type”: “Service”,
“name”: “REPS Qualification”
}
},
{
“@type”: “Offer”,
“itemOffered”: {
“@type”: “Service”,
“name”: “STR Loophole Strategy”
}
}
]
},
“priceRange”: “$$”,
“knowsAbout”: [
“Real Estate Tax Strategy”,
“Cost Segregation”,
“1031 Exchange”,
“Real Estate Professional Status”,
“Short-Term Rental Tax Loophole”,
“Bonus Depreciation”,
“California Real Estate Tax Law”
]
}

{
“@context”: “https://schema.org”,
“@type”: “FAQPage”,
“mainEntity”: [
{
“@type”: “Question”,
“name”: “What is California’s real estate withholding requirement?”,
“acceptedAnswer”: {
“@type”: “Answer”,
“text”: “California’s real estate withholding (FTB Form 593) requires 3.33% of the gross sales price to be withheld at closing for most real estate sales. Exemptions include: primary residence sales qualifying for the Section 121 exclusion, 1031 exchanges, and sales where the seller certifies they are a CA resident and the gain is below a certain threshold. For Irvine investors doing a 1031 exchange, the withholding exemption is critical — failing to claim it means 3.33% of your exchange proceeds are withheld, potentially causing a ‘boot’ problem. KDA’s team will ensure the correct exemption certificates are filed.”
}
}, {
“@type”: “Question”,
“name”: “Can I group my rental properties to maximize tax deductions?”,
“acceptedAnswer”: {
“@type”: “Answer”,
“text”: “Rental property grouping is one of the most underutilized strategies in real estate tax planning. By grouping your rental activities, you can meet material participation tests more easily (aggregating hours across properties), potentially qualify for the STR loophole across a portfolio of STRs, and simplify your passive activity accounting. The election must be made correctly and documented properly. KDA’s Irvine team will evaluate whether grouping benefits your specific portfolio and execute the election correctly.”
}
}, {
“@type”: “Question”,
“name”: “How does the step-up in basis at death work for real estate investors?”,
“acceptedAnswer”: {
“@type”: “Answer”,
“text”: “When a real estate investor dies, their heirs receive the property with a ‘stepped-up’ cost basis equal to the fair market value at the date of death. This eliminates all accumulated capital gains and depreciation recapture — potentially millions of dollars in deferred taxes disappear entirely. This is why many sophisticated Irvine investors pursue a ‘buy, borrow, die’ strategy: buy properties, borrow against them for liquidity, and hold until death to eliminate the tax liability entirely. KDA’s team integrates estate planning with real estate tax strategy for maximum generational wealth transfer.”
}
}, {
“@type”: “Question”,
“name”: “What is the repair vs. improvement distinction and why does it matter?”,
“acceptedAnswer”: {
“@type”: “Answer”,
“text”: “The repair vs. improvement question is where many Irvine landlords leave significant money on the table. By properly applying the IRS safe harbors, you can expense items that would otherwise be capitalized and depreciated over decades. The De Minimis Safe Harbor ($2,500 per item) alone can convert thousands of dollars of capitalized improvements into current-year deductions. KDA’s Irvine real estate CPA team reviews all your property expenditures annually and applies the optimal treatment to maximize current-year deductions.”
}
}, {
“@type”: “Question”,
“name”: “What is the QBI deduction and does it apply to rental real estate?”,
“acceptedAnswer”: {
“@type”: “Answer”,
“text”: “The QBI deduction can add 20% savings on top of all your other real estate deductions. For a Irvine investor with $200,000 in net rental income that qualifies for QBI, the deduction is $40,000 — saving $14,800 in federal taxes at the 37% rate. Qualification requires your rental activity to be a ‘trade or business,’ which is met through REPS, the STR loophole, or the 250-hour safe harbor. KDA’s real estate CPA team will document your rental services hours and structure your activities to maximize QBI eligibility.”
}
}, {
“@type”: “Question”,
“name”: “Can I do a 1031 exchange on a short-term rental property?”,
“acceptedAnswer”: {
“@type”: “Answer”,
“text”: “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 Irvine team will review your STR’s rental history and personal use records to confirm 1031 eligibility before you proceed.”
}
}, {
“@type”: “Question”,
“name”: “What is Real Estate Professional Status (REPS) and how do I qualify?”,
“acceptedAnswer”: {
“@type”: “Answer”,
“text”: “Real Estate Professional Status (REPS) is an IRS designation under IRC Section 469(c)(7) that allows qualifying investors to treat rental losses as non-passive — meaning they can offset any type of income, including W-2 wages and business income. To qualify, you must: (1) spend more than 750 hours per year in real property trades or businesses; AND (2) spend more than 50% of your total working time in real property activities. REPS is most powerful for investors with large rental portfolios or those who have done cost segregation studies generating large paper losses. KDA’s Irvine team will assess your eligibility and help you document your hours.”
}
}, {
“@type”: “Question”,
“name”: “What is the fix-and-flip tax treatment and how is it different from buy-and-hold?”,
“acceptedAnswer”: {
“@type”: “Answer”,
“text”: “Fix-and-flip properties are treated fundamentally differently from buy-and-hold rentals under the tax code. Flippers are classified as ‘dealers’ — the properties are inventory, not capital assets. This means: (1) profits are taxed as ordinary income (up to 37%), not capital gains (15–20%); (2) self-employment tax (15.3%) applies to net profits; (3) no 1031 exchange eligibility; (4) no depreciation deductions. The combined federal tax rate on flip profits can reach 52%+. KDA’s Irvine team structures flipping operations through S-Corps or LLCs to minimize self-employment tax and maximize deductions.”
}
}, {
“@type”: “Question”,
“name”: “How does the tax treatment differ for a REIT vs. direct real estate ownership?”,
“acceptedAnswer”: {
“@type”: “Answer”,
“text”: “The tax comparison between REITs and direct real estate for Irvine investors strongly favors direct ownership for most high-income investors. REIT dividends are taxed at ordinary income rates (up to 37%), partially offset by the QBI deduction. Direct ownership generates depreciation deductions that often eliminate taxable income entirely, and gains are taxed at favorable capital gains rates with 1031 exchange deferral available. The only advantage of REITs is liquidity and simplicity. KDA’s team will model the after-tax returns of both approaches for your specific income level and investment goals.”
}
}, {
“@type”: “Question”,
“name”: “How do I handle mixed-use property (part personal, part rental) for tax purposes?”,
“acceptedAnswer”: {
“@type”: “Answer”,
“text”: “House hacking — living in one unit of a multi-unit property and renting the others — is a popular strategy for Irvine real estate investors. The tax treatment: you allocate income and expenses between personal use (your unit) and rental use (tenant units) based on square footage or unit count. The rental portion generates full deductions including depreciation. When you sell, the rental portion is subject to capital gains and depreciation recapture; the personal portion may qualify for the Section 121 exclusion. KDA’s team will optimize your house hacking tax strategy.”
}
}
]
}