Depreciation

Amortization is similar to the straight line method of depreciation in that an annual deduction is allowed to recover certain costs over a fixed period of time.
Examples of amortizable items are costs of starting a business, goodwill, customer lists, franchise fees, licenses, trademarks and certain other intangibles, reforestation and pollution control facilities. Amortization is reportable on IRS Form 4562.

Generally, the maximum section 179 expense deduction is $500,000 for section 179 properties placed in service in 2013.
If you elect to expense section 179 property, you must reduce the amount on which you figure your depreciation or amortization deduction (including any special depreciation allowance) by the section 179 expense deduction.
You may elect to deduct all or part of the cost of certain qualifying property in the year you place the asset in service as opposed to recovering the cost over the assets useful life(depreciation). This choice is called a Section 179 Election.
Any disallowed amount in the current year may be carried over to future years.
The 179 deduction is reportable on IRS Form 4562. You can elect to expense part or all (up to $500,000) of the cost of section 179 property that you placed in service during the tax year and used predominantly (more than 50%) in your trade or business.

A section 179 expense can only be elected on property used 50% or more in a trade or business.

Equipment that is used for personal and business purposes is called "listed property".
Listed property includes automobiles (weighing 6,000 lbs. or less), cellular telephones, computers and peripheral equipment,
property used for entertainment, recreation or amusement, such as boats, airplanes, and photographic, sound or video recording equipment.
There are certain limitations associated with listed property. Listed property deductions are reportable on IRS Form 4562, part 5.

Depreciable real property is categorized as section 1250 property. For sales of section 1250 property, the part of long-term capital gain attributed to depreciation is taxed at a maximum tax rate of 25% and reportable on IRS Schedule D.

The depreciation year classification of a computer is 5 year property (5 year useful life)for MACRS depreciation purposes.

Furniture would be considered 5 year property (having a 5 year useful life)for MACRS depreciation purposes in a rental property. Furniture and equipment, such as desks and files, would be considered 7 year property ( having a 7 year useful life)for MACRS depreciation purposes in a non-rental property such as in an office.

You should use the date the rental property is available to be rented. It does not start the day the first tenant moves in.
Generally, residential rental properties use a straight line 27.5 year life with a midmonth convention and nonresidential real properties use a straight line 39 year life with a midmonth convention to determine the depreciation deduction that is reported on IRS Form 4562.
The midmonth convention assumes the property was placed in service in the middle of the month and is built into the IRS depreciation table.

The purchase price must be allocated to the building and to the land. The amount allocated to the land is non-depreciable. The amount allocated to the building is depreciable and reported on IRS Form 4562.