Expert Real Estate Tax Preparation & Planning Services
At REA, our specialized tax preparation and planning services are designed exclusively for real estate investors and professionals. Our team of expert CPAs will help you uncover every possible deduction, ensure compliance, and streamline your tax process, allowing you to focus on growing your investment portfolio.
Trust REA to optimize your tax strategy, improve your operational efficiency, and enhance your financial success.
With extensive experience working at Big 4 accounting firms, our team brings unparalleled expertise in real estate tax preparation. Our team has successfully implemented tax strategies that have saved our clients millions.
15+ YearsIn Real Estate Tax
All 50States Filed
Big 4Trained CPAs
Why Top Real Estate Tax Preparation Professionals Choose REA
Big 4 Training, Applied Only to Real Estate
15+ Years in Real Estate Tax
With extensive experience working at Big 4 accounting firms, our team brings unparalleled expertise in real estate tax preparation. We have the knowledge and skills to maximize your deductions and ensure compliance, giving you peace of mind and optimized financial results.
Proven Cost Savings
Our team has successfully implemented tax strategies that have saved our clients millions. With a deep understanding of complex tax codes and regulations, we deliver results that enhance your financial outcomes.
Personalized Tax Services
We offer customized tax planning for real estate investors to meet your specific requirements, with a proactive approach to identifying and leveraging tax opportunities. Each client is assigned a dedicated REA tax preparer with years of real estate tax experience, ensuring expert and personalized service.
Real Estate Tax Preparation & Planning Services From REA
Filing, Structuring and the Advice In Between
Ensure seamless and efficient tax preparation for real estate agents and realtors. Our comprehensive services include:
Tax Due Diligence
Comprehensive tax analysis to identify risks and opportunities before transactions are completed.
Annual Tax Returns
Accurate and timely preparation of annual federal and state tax returns to ensure compliance and maximize refunds.
Ongoing Tax Advice
Continuous expert guidance to navigate complex tax regulations, transactions, and optimize your tax strategy.
Tax Structuring of Funds & SPVs
Strategic tax structuring for funds, special purpose vehicles, and refinancing to enhance tax efficiency.
Support with Tax Audits
Professional support to effectively manage and respond to tax audits, ensuring compliance and reducing stress.
The Full Scope
- Form 1040
- Form 1120 / 1120-S
- Form 1099-Misc
- Forms 706 / 709
- 1031 Exchanges
- + 5 more below
Common Tax Filings REA Helps With
- Form 1040
- Form 1120 / 1120-S
- Form 1099-Misc
- Forms 706 / 709
- 1031 Exchanges
- Form 1065
- Schedule K-1 (Form 1065)
- Form 1098
- Form 4868
- Form 8996 (QOZB)
Also available on its own
- Trust AccountingTenant, owner, and security deposit money kept separate, tied out, and ready for a state audit at any time.
- Bank Reconciliation ServicesEvery operating, trust, and escrow account reconciled on a fixed schedule, with the variances chased down rather than carried forward.
- Accounts Payable & ReceivableVendor invoices coded and paid, tenant receipts applied, management fees taken, and owner distributions cut on time.
- Bookkeeping Cleanup & Catch-UpMonths or years of unreconciled books diagnosed, corrected, and brought current so the numbers you report are numbers you trust.
- CAM ReconciliationCommon area maintenance pools built from the lease terms, reconciled against actuals, and billed or credited with a defensible tenant statement.
Tax Is Where the Bookkeeping Year Gets Graded
Why a Real Estate Return Is Not a Small Business Return
A real estate return is mostly a series of judgment calls that were made months earlier, in the books: what got capitalised, how a refinance was treated, whether a deposit was income, which entity a cost landed in. By filing season those calls are set. The return either reflects them or fights them.
What makes it different
Real estate has more levers than almost any other asset
Depreciation and cost segregation, 1031 exchanges, passive activity and real estate professional status, opportunity zones, partnership allocations and basis. Used deliberately these compound. That is why the same portfolio can produce very different tax outcomes with the same revenue.
Where it goes wrong
A generalist preparer files what the books say
Which is fine when the books are right, and expensive when they are not. Missed depreciation on an improvement expensed two years ago, a 1031 the ledger never treated as an exchange, K-1s that do not tie to capital accounts maintained outside the books. None of it is caught by a preparer meeting your file for the first time in March.
How we work it
The same firm keeps the books and files the return
REA is real-estate-only, and where we also do the monthly close the two are not separate exercises: the treatment gets decided when the transaction happens, not reconstructed at year-end. Where we only do the tax work, the first thing we do is review the prior three years and the asset schedules.
How Our CPA Real Estate Tax Preparation Process Works
Review, Prepare, Walk You Through It
- 1
Understand Your Needs + Review Past Returns
Meet with our team of real estate CPA's so we can fully understand your business and individual tax requirements. We'll also review the prior 3 years' tax returns and current asset schedules. This allows us to provide a price estimate and calculate your potential savings.
- 2
Submit Documents + Tax Preparation
We make it seamless to submit requested documents through our secure online portal. Once all documents are received, we begin work on preparing your tax returns.
- 3
CPA Review + Video Walkthrough
Every return is thoroughly reviewed by our CPA real estate tax preparation experts to ensure accuracy and completeness. Once your tax returns are completed, we'll send a friendly overview video explaining all the key pieces of your tax return.
Benefits of Expert Tax Planning for Real Estate Investors
Planning is the part that changes the number. Preparation records what happened; planning decides what happens next year.
- Maximize Tax Savings
- Our expert tax planning helps you utilize all deductions, leverage tax-deferred investments, and structure transactions to minimize your tax burden. These strategies maximize your savings and enhance your financial success.
- Enhancing Cash Flow
- Our tax-efficient strategies improve liquidity and defer tax payments, providing you with more resources to reinvest in properties and grow your portfolio.
- Minimizing Risks and Ensuring Compliance
- Stay updated with tax law changes, avoid penalties and interest from non-compliance, and conduct regular tax reviews and audits. Our expert planning minimizes risks and ensures you remain compliant.
REA Tax Strategist
At REA, we believe in the power of personal connection. We're not a faceless corporation; we're a team of experienced professionals who are passionate about helping you succeed.
Sarah Stanton, CPA
Director of Tax
Sarah brings over eight years of real estate tax compliance experience to REA, with a strong concentration in partnership taxation. As both a tax advisor and an active real estate investor, she offers a dual perspective that enables her to engage with clients not only as a technical expert but also as a strategic business partner. Her ability to understand investor priorities and transaction structures adds meaningful value across every engagement.
- Licensed CPA since 2017
- Partnership taxation
- Formerly CohnReznick, PwC & Marcum
- MS Taxation, Hofstra
You Get a Team With Names, Not a Ticket Queue
Who Actually Works On Your Real Estate Tax Books
Outsourced accounting fails when nobody owns the account. At REA you are assigned a property accounting team and a client success lead who knows your portfolio, your owners, and your quirks. They stay on your account, so you are never re-explaining your chart of accounts to someone new.
Sharifa Giraldo, CPA
VP, Client Success
Residential Property Management
20+ years of property accounting, a CPA since 2015, and a specialist in third-party management and platform migrations.
Will Daege
VP, Client Success
Commercial Property Management
25+ years across retail, office, industrial, and multifamily, including Portfolio Controller for The Related Companies' New York development portfolio.
How we work together
- A named team, not a poolThe same property accountants close your books every month.
- Reachable the way you already workEmail, phone, video, or Slack. Urgent items get answered the same day.
- Inside your accounting softwareWe take accountant access to your existing system, exactly as you would grant an internal hire.
- 230+ property accountants behind themCoverage when someone is out, and a specialist to escalate to when a lease or a trust question gets strange.
Experts In All Property Types
Residential, commercial and everything in between. The asset class changes what the books have to prove, and our teams are staffed accordingly.
- Single-Family
- Multifamily
- Student Housing
- Affordable Housing
- Community AssociationsSee the page
- CommercialSee the page
Check Out What Our Clients Have To Say About Us
Property Managers, Investors & Owner Operators
Moved from a local CPA office to a virtual firm
Was a bit leery making the jump from a local CPA office to using an online/virtual firm to do my personal and small business Federal Taxes, but can tell everyone it was a great decision! Brief Zoom call upfront with the owner helped me understand what they were all about, the services they could provide, and how they can add value. Meeting also helped him determine which Associate in his firm was best to assign to us based on our circumstances and needs. Sarah was terrific in communicating regularly and clearly on what she needed from us, and their online portal/technology was easy to navigate uploading needed documents/information to her. Sarah also added value by making some excellent tax strategy recommendations moving forward that we will implement on next years taxes. Very satisfied!
230+
Property Accountants
30M+
Commercial Sq. Ft.
Up to 50%
Saved vs In-House
Every month
On-Time Close
We Also Work With
Every Vertical Has Its Own Way of Breaking
- Property ManagementThird-party managers scaling past their bookkeeping
- Commercial Real EstateLease administration and CAM reconciliation
- Owner OperatorsBuying units without adding accounting headcount
- Assisted LivingResident billing alongside property accounting
- DevelopersDraws, capitalisation and job-level cost
- HOAsAssessments, reserves and board-ready reporting
- SyndicatorsWaterfalls, GP/LP splits and investor reporting
- ConstructionJob costing, WIP and retainage
Frequently Asked Questions
What types of tax returns do you prepare for clients?
We can prepare both federal and state tax returns across all 50 states. The most common types of returns are: Individual returns, Form 1040. Partnership returns, Form 1065. State returns across all 50 states. C-Corp and S-Corp returns, Forms 1120 / 1120-S.
How are you able to keep up with the never ending tax preparation rental property code changes?
In addition to ongoing CPE, we leverage the most advanced software to ensure we stay ahead of any changes to the tax code.
What types of businesses do you work with?
We collaborate with real estate investors and small business owners across a wide spectrum. Our clientele includes investors in single-family, multifamily, and commercial properties, regardless of size. We have experience with clients who own just a few properties as well as those managing dozens to hundreds of properties. We also work with wholesalers, agents/brokers, syndicators, flippers, real estate funds, developers, and other real estate business types.
Do you file taxes in all 50 states?
Yes! We help our clients file taxes in all 50 states and ensure all state and local tax codes are followed.
How does REA keep my rental property tax preparation data secure?
At REA, we take the security of your data very seriously. Here's how we ensure your information is protected, even as a virtual firm. End-to-End Encryption: All data transmitted between you and our servers is encrypted using industry-standard protocols (e.g., SSL/TLS). This ensures that your data cannot be intercepted or read by unauthorized parties during transmission. Encrypted Storage: Data stored on our servers is encrypted using advanced encryption standards. This ensures that even if data is accessed without authorization, it remains unreadable and secure. Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA): We implement MFA to add an extra layer of security for accessing our systems. This means that even if your password is compromised, unauthorized users cannot access your account without the second form of authentication. Role-Based Access Control (RBAC): Access to sensitive data is restricted based on user roles. This ensures that only authorized personnel have access to certain data, minimizing the risk of internal data breaches. Security Audits: We regularly conduct security audits and vulnerability assessments to identify and address potential security threats. Software Updates: We ensure that all software and systems are up-to-date with the latest security patches and updates, protecting against known vulnerabilities. Regular Backups: Your data is backed up regularly to ensure that it can be restored in case of accidental loss or data corruption. Disaster Recovery Plan: We have a robust disaster recovery plan in place to ensure business continuity and data integrity in the event of a cyber-attack or other disaster. Industry Standards: We comply with industry security standards and best practices, such as GDPR, CCPA, and other relevant regulations, to ensure your data is handled securely and responsibly. Third-Party Security Certifications: We work with third-party security experts to certify our systems and processes, providing an additional layer of assurance regarding our security measures. Security Training: Our employees undergo regular security training to stay informed about the latest security threats and best practices for data protection. Confidentiality Agreements: All employees sign confidentiality agreements to ensure they understand the importance of keeping client data secure.
My real estate CPA services only works with Quickbooks, do you work with other accounting software providers like AppFolio?
With REA being a 100% real estate focused accounting firm, our team of tax accountants are well versed in real estate specific software including AppFolio, Yardi, Buildium, MRI, Entrata, Real Page, Rent Vine, Quickbooks, and more!
Ready to Stop Overpaying at Filing Season?
Schedule a call with our tax team. We will review your prior three years of returns and your current asset schedules, give you a price estimate, and calculate what the planning is actually worth.