Real Estate Accounting property by property.
For investors, owners, and developers who want books kept by property and tax planning that starts before the deal closes, not after.
Real estate accounting is property-level work. Each building has its own rents, repairs, loans, and depreciation, and each sale or exchange carries tax consequences shaped by decisions made years earlier. TreeStar keeps the books by property and by entity in QuickBooks Online, prepares returns that report rental activity on Schedule E or Form 8825, and plans ahead on depreciation, cost segregation, and like-kind exchanges where the facts support them. For California owners, we track the places where state rules differ from federal, so the state return is never an afterthought.
books_by_property·tax_by_transaction·returns_by_entity
Where it gets complicated
- 01 Books that blend properties
When rents and repairs for every property run through one account, you cannot see which building earns its keep. Lenders, partners, and the tax return all ask for property-level detail.
- 02 Depreciation decided once
Basis allocation, placed-in-service dates, and method choices made at purchase follow a property for years. Errors compound quietly until a sale brings them out, often with depreciation recapture attached.
- 03 Passive loss limits
Under the passive activity rules, rental losses often cannot offset wages or business income. Whether they can depends on your participation, your income, and whether real estate professional status applies.
- 04 California goes its own way
California does not follow federal bonus depreciation, so state and federal depreciation schedules drift apart. Exchanges into out-of-state property bring an annual California filing of their own.
Explore Real Estate
For investors growing a portfolio who want to know how each acquisition, study, and sale changes the tax picture across every property.
→ property_owners Property Owners
For owners of a few rentals or a commercial building who want rental property taxes done carefully and records that make next year easier.
→ tax_planning Real Estate Tax Planning
For owners and investors who want to plan sales, exchanges, and depreciation before a signed contract locks the decisions in.
→ developers Real Estate Developers
For developers and builders who need project costs tracked cleanly, partners reported accurately, and lender questions answered quickly.
→ accounting Real Estate Accounting
For owners and managers who want real estate bookkeeping that ties rent rolls, bank accounts, and loans together every month.
→How TreeStar helps
We track income, expenses, loans, and deposits for each property and entity, reconciled monthly in QuickBooks Online.
→ tax_planning Plan before you transactWe review purchases, sales, and exchanges with you before closing, while the options are still open.
→ business_tax Prepare entity returnsWe prepare partnership and S corporation returns with rental activity on Form 8825 and coordinate the owners' individual reporting.
→ financial_modeling Model the next moveWe model cash flow, debt service, and after-tax results before you buy, refinance, or sell.
→One property is rarely one tax question.
- 01 Purchase
- 02 Operate
- 03 Refinance
- 04 Sell or exchange
Planning a sale or exchange? Call us before you list.
Once a contract is signed, most of the tax choices are locked in. A short call first keeps them open.
What you can expect
Profit and loss by property
Depreciation records that hold up at sale
Tax decisions made before closing
Common questions
What do you need to get started?
Recent returns, closing statements for each property, depreciation schedules, loan statements, and any property manager reports. Documents come to us securely through the TaxDome portal.
Can you help with a 1031 exchange?
We plan the tax side with you and coordinate with your qualified intermediary and escrow, who handle the exchange funds. Exchange rules are strict and fact-specific, so we prefer to be involved before you list the property.
Do you serve real estate clients outside California?
Yes. We work with owners and investors nationwide, and we review filing requirements in each state where you hold property.
Need a referral?
We work alongside the attorneys, consultants, and other specialists your industry relies on. Tell us what you need and we will make an introduction.
Holds exchange proceeds and manages exchange paperwork.
→ request_referral Cost segregation providerEngineering studies that support accelerated depreciation.
→ request_referral Real estate attorneyPurchases, leases, entities, and title questions.
→ request_referral Commercial lender or mortgage brokerFinancing for acquisitions, refinances, and development.
→Real Estate insights
How a 1031 exchange works for California property owners, from the 45- and 180-day deadlines to the yearly FTB 3840 filing for out-of-state property.
→
How a cost segregation study works, when it may make sense, and how 100% federal bonus depreciation and California's separate rules shape the result.
→