I've been renting out a small place for about a year now, and tax season is creeping up again. Last year I tried handling all the tax stuff myself—figured, how hard could it be, right? Um, turns out pretty confusing actually, haha. This year I'm debating whether to just bite the bullet and hire an accountant or stick with the DIY route and maybe get better at it over time. Curious what you guys prefer and why...
I've been there myself—thought I could handle it all solo. A few years back, when I first started renting out a condo, I figured taxes couldn't be that complicated. Fast forward to me spending an entire weekend buried in receipts, depreciation schedules, and IRS forms. Not exactly how I wanted to spend my Saturday afternoon...
Ended up hiring a pro the next year, and honestly, the peace of mind alone was worth it. Plus, the accountant pointed out deductions I'd totally missed before, so I ended up saving money anyway. But I get the appeal of DIY too—learning the ropes can feel empowering, and it does get easier over time.
One thing I'm curious about though: has anyone here tried tax software specifically tailored for rental properties? Wondering if that might be a good middle ground between hiring a pro and going full DIY.
