Depreciation or Expense

[Lynn Green]

I spent $20,000 on replacing decking front and back. It was Trex , which is supposed to be lifetime warranty, that is another issue. Also, we replaced siding on the East and West side of the house, which was another $20,000. I wanted to expense on our 2021 taxes and my CPA says it needs to be depreciated. I read the tax regs and read it to say that if the property was not maintained and went into disrepair and you had to replace the "deck" you had to depreciate. The property was maintained, the materials were defected, so I want to expense. Thoughts ?

[Richard Duane McClellan]

Not a CPA.  However you should depreciate the decking.  Ask your CPA if the Trex material would be considered an impaired asset and if you can expense whatever the remaining value is all at once.