TurboTax handles the forms. Perch handles the short-term rental tax strategy TurboTax can't guide you through — deductions, thresholds, and savings most DIY filers never find.
TurboTax walks you through Schedule E line by line. It doesn't know about the short-term rental exception, material participation hours, or cost segregation studies that can cut your bill by thousands.
Not because TurboTax is wrong — because the questions it asks don't surface the STR-specific deductions and elections available to short-term rental owners.
If your average guest stay is 7 days or less and you meet the participation hour test, your rental losses can offset ordinary W-2 income. TurboTax has no way to know if you qualify.
Personal use day calculations, mixed-use expense allocation, passive vs. non-passive loss treatment — TurboTax provides the forms. It doesn't tell you which elections to make.
Perch knows the short-term rental rules — the 7-day test, the 14-day personal use rule, material participation thresholds — and tells you exactly where you stand before you file.
Cost segregation, accelerated depreciation, home office allocation, vehicle mileage — Perch identifies what applies to your properties and hands you the numbers TurboTax needs.
The STR exception that offsets ordinary income requires documented hours. Perch tracks them automatically so you have proof if you're ever asked.
Every number TurboTax asks for — income by property, expenses by category, personal use days, depreciation — calculated and organized before you start your return.
Perch monitors your tax position all year. By the time you open TurboTax, there are no surprises — just clean numbers and a list of elections to make.
Perch generates the same CPA-ready package whether you file yourself or hire a professional. You're building toward better, not locked into DIY.
Based on your 2024 bookings, you qualify for the short-term rental exception — your average stay was 5.8 days and you logged 798 hours. This allows $14,200 in rental losses to offset your W-2 income. TurboTax will accept this election — here's exactly where to enter it and what documentation to keep.
Get your numbers ready before you open TurboTax.
Full Year Tax Prep — $49Yes. TurboTax handles rental income on Schedule E and walks you through the basic questions. The gap is that TurboTax does not know STR-specific rules — the short-term rental exception, material participation thresholds, or cost segregation opportunities. Perch fills that gap by preparing optimized numbers before you open TurboTax.
Airbnb rental income is reported on Schedule E (Supplemental Income and Loss) in TurboTax, under the Rental Properties and Royalties section. If you provide substantial hotel-like services it may go on Schedule C instead. Perch tells you which applies to your situation and prepares the exact numbers for each line.
Personal use days include any days you or a family member used the property, days rented below fair market value, or days used as a trade. The ratio of personal use to rental days determines how you allocate expenses. Perch tracks this automatically throughout the year so you have the right number before you start your return.
Standard passive activity loss rules phase out between $100,000 and $150,000 AGI. However if your rental qualifies as a short-term rental and you materially participate, losses become non-passive and there is no income limit. TurboTax will not tell you this — Perch identifies whether you qualify and walks you through the election.
Depreciation allows you to deduct the cost of your property over 27.5 years for residential rental. TurboTax will calculate it if you enter your property cost basis and placed-in-service date. Perch tracks your cost basis, accumulated depreciation, and any bonus depreciation opportunities and gives you the exact numbers TurboTax needs.
Yes. You can file amended returns (Form 1040-X) for the past 3 tax years to claim missed deductions. Perch can help you identify what was missed and organize the documentation needed for an amended filing. Many operators recover $5,000 to $20,000 in prior-year overpayments.
Connect your booking account free. See every deduction you're eligible for before you file.
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