Timing
Timing: Acquisition Year and Catch-Up
Pages about timing a study, including the year of acquisition, catch-up depreciation through Form 3115, deadlines, and planning calendars.
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When you do a study can matter almost as much as whether you do one. A study in the year a property is placed in service is generally the simplest path. A study for a property you have owned for years often uses a change in accounting method, filed on Form 3115, to catch up on missed depreciation through a single adjustment.
This hub explains both paths, the role of the Section 481(a) adjustment, how a method change differs from an amended return, how construction and renovation change the picture, and how year-end dates and provider timelines interact. It also offers a month-by-month planning calendar for the purchase year.
Procedures and deadlines change, so treat the pages as orientation and confirm current requirements with your tax professional. Start with Year of Acquisition: Why Timing Matters for a Study if the property is new, or Catch-Up Depreciation With Form 3115 if it is not. For a labeled hypothetical of a catch-up, see Hypothetical: Catch-Up on a Property Owned for Years.
Return to the decision hub or the depreciation rules hub when you are ready.