Burtonsville, MD · Member since 2013 · 3 posts · 0 votes
Hello All,
I have been working on my real estate business for the last year. However I have not had a business account and have been using my personal funds and Amex for my expenses. So I need help understanding how to best track and document what I have done so far. If anyone could provide some gudiance I would really appreciate the help.
Real Estate Investor · Audubon, PA · Member since 2009 · 13k+ posts · 8k+ votes
11y
Unless I am mistaken, startup costs are capitalized, so they get deducted over time. If you bought equipment, equipment expense is deducted by being depreciated.
Real Estate Investor · Los Gatos, CA · Member since 2014 · 226 posts · 89 votes
11y
Yes it's legit to have pre-incorporation expenses. Just keep documents and receipts. Once you incorporate the accountant will put them and and you can take the money out tax free once the business has cash to repay you.
Real Estate Investor · Audubon, PA · Member since 2009 · 13k+ posts · 8k+ votes
11y
Unless I am mistaken, startup costs are capitalized, so they get deducted over time. If you bought equipment, equipment expense is deducted by being depreciated.
Investor, Entrepreneur, Educator · Springfield, MO · Member since 2009 · 21k+ posts · 12k+ votes
11y
Steve is correct, so is Bogdan to some extent, not all expenses are required to be capitalized. Hard costs of furniture, fixtures, equipment, as well as soft costs of legal fees, permits, license fees and filing fees to establish the business will be capitalized. Buying expendables like letterhead will be expensed in that year as a consumable item.
The funds used from your personal account are your initial contributions of capital that total is your first entry for your books and then allocate the expenses accordingly. Those expensed items can then be covered by future earnings and the withdrawal of your initial contribution is a return of capital, not a disbursement of earned income.
Keep good records of all expenses, on receipts I like to see notes on them saying, "Paid initial contributions" so later you know what receipts constituted your initial expense entries.
If you're a non-accounting type, might Google "Accounting audit trail" and scratch the surface of the topic to organize receipts, expenses and capitalized items. After your company checking account is set up, the audit trail will go to that account.
At that point, never comingle personal funds with business funds, except in making contributions from personal accounts to your capital account or from your drawing account taking your income.
See your accountant in the beginning, paying up front will save you money in the long run! :)