J.K. Lasser's Small Business Taxes 2014: Your Complete Guide to a Better Bottom Line

Rents

Deducting Rent Payments in General

The Cost of Acquiring, Modifying, or Canceling a Lease

Improvements You Make to Leased Property

Rental of a Portion of Your Home for Business

Leasing a Car

Leveraged Leases

From a financial standpoint, it might make more sense to rent than to buy property and equipment. Renting may require a smaller cash outlay than buying. Also, the business may not as yet have established sufficient credit to make large purchases but can still gain the use of the property or equipment through renting. If you pay rent to use office space, a store, or other property for your business, or you pay to lease business equipment, you generally can deduct your outlays.

Deducting Rent Payments in General

If you pay to use property for business that you do not own, the payments are rent. Leases may take various forms. For example, with a net lease, the tenant pays for the use of the space as well as costs associated with operating the property, such as taxes, property insurance, utilities, sewer and water, and trash collection. Regardless of the form of the lease, the payments are all considered rents (even if they may cover taxes). They may also be called lease payments. Rents paid for property used in a business are deductible business expenses. These include obligations you pay on behalf of your landlord. For example, if you are required by the terms of your ...