Writing
Guides
Research and reference for rental owners — Schedule E–friendly bookkeeping, expense mapping, and cash-flow clarity. Educational only; not tax advice.
- Read →
How to Export Booking CSVs for TallyRoost
Short steps for the files TallyRoost Import accepts: Airbnb earnings CSV (Create report, not PDF), VRBO payout CSV, Hospitable reservations export (legacy email CSV), or a filled TallyRoost template with a header row and at least one stay. Upload or paste. Educational only; not tax advice.
- Read →
What to Paste (and What Not To)
What TallyRoost Import accepts: an Airbnb earnings CSV, a VRBO payout CSV, a Hospitable reservations export, or a filled TallyRoost template with a header row and at least one stay. Empty files and unsupported exports are turned away with that same list. Educational only; not tax advice.
- Read →
TallyRoost vs Stessa: An Honest Comparison for Rental Owners
Compare TallyRoost and Stessa for owner P&L — Schedule E–friendly books, CSV upload or paste, plain-English cash flow, and CPA/TaxAct exports for 1–20 door portfolios. Educational only; not tax advice.
- Read →
How to Switch from Stessa to TallyRoost
Migration checklist for rental owners leaving Stessa — what to export, expense mapping vs leaving revenue alone, CSV upload or paste, and Schedule E exports for your CPA. Educational only; not tax advice.
- Read →
Airbnb Year-End Tax Checklist: What to Give Your CPA
What to give your CPA for Airbnb taxes — gross earnings (not bank deposits), 1099-K, fees, expenses by property, and rental days. Educational only.
- Read →
One Property, Three Booking Channels: How to Build a Single P&L Without Double-Counting
Same unit on Airbnb, Vrbo, and direct? Build one property P&L — gross at reservation level, channel as a field, no double-counted stays. Educational only; not tax advice.
- Read →
Cleaner Hours Trap for STR Material Participation
Why cleaner and manager hours matter under Temp. Reg. §1.469-5T Tests 2 and 3 — how a busy turnover crew can block the 100-hour path even when the owner logs more than 100 hours, with illustrative scenarios and a free hour log. Educational only; not tax advice.
- Read →
REPS vs STR Material Participation for W-2 Hosts
Compare Real Estate Professional Status (REPS) — roughly 750 hours and more than half of personal services in real property trades — with the short-term rental path (average stay ≤7 days plus material participation under §1.469-5T). Illustrative only; not tax advice.
- Read →
Airbnb vs. Vrbo Host Fees: Why Your Payout Never Matches the Listing Price
Airbnb now takes 15.5% from the host side. Vrbo takes about 8%. Here is exactly what each platform deducts, what it applies to, and why multi-platform hosts cannot compare the two on commission alone.
- Read →
Schedule E vs Schedule C for Short-Term Rentals
When short-term rental income belongs on Schedule E versus Schedule C — substantial services, average stay, self-employment tax, material participation myths, and how to keep books your CPA can file from. Educational only; not tax advice.
- Read →
Can Airbnb Losses Offset W-2 Income?
When short-term rental losses can offset W-2 wages: the seven-day average customer-use test, material participation, Schedule E vs Schedule C myths, and free tools to check your stays and hours. Educational only; not tax advice.
- Read →
Rental Depreciation vs Capital Expense
What a capital expense is, how depreciation expense works on Schedule E line 18, and how to think about refrigerators, furniture, repairs, and building improvements — plus the $2,500 de minimis safe harbor. Educational only; not tax advice.
- Read →
Airbnb Schedule E Expense Categories
Map Airbnb and short-term rental purchases to IRS Schedule E lines 5–19 — consumables vs repairs, the $2,500 de minimis safe harbor, HOA placement, and when Schedule C may apply. Educational only; not tax advice.
- Read →
Short-Term Rental Tax Loophole: Material Participation & the 7-Day Rule
The STR tax loophole requires two parts — average customer use of seven days or less (Treas. Reg. §1.469-1T(e)(3)) and material participation under Temp. Reg. §1.469-5T. Covers all seven tests, the cleaner-hours trap, REPS vs STR, grouping, records, and what passive-activity relief does not override. Educational only; not tax advice.
← Home · Guides · Tools · Terms · Disclaimer
