• Pass-through deductions. Anyone involved in real estate transactions knows that commercial property investors often create single-purpose limited liability companies (LLCs), partnerships or S Corporations (S Corps) as a safeguard from personal liability and a pass-through taxation option to avoid being taxed twice on the same income. The tax reform bill includes a new pass-through deduction provision for these corporate entities. Now, commercial real estate property owners operating as one of the above entities can obtain a 20 percent tax deduction on net income from rental properties—apartment complexes, shopping centers, office buildings and industrial facilities. This, combined with other measures such as carrying over select losses, will result in huge savings for savvy commercial investors.
• Depreciation deductions. In the pre-tax reform era, the ability to claim a bonus depreciation deduction on applicable commercial properties was limited to 50 percent of the property's cost. The new tax law makes that 100 percent if the property is “placed in service,” which marks the beginning of the depreciation period, after Sept. 27, 2017 and before Jan. 1, 2023. In South Florida, where a common complaint from buyers and would-be sellers of commercial property these days across all sectors is a pricing disconnect between the parties, the ability to take advantage of this provision could help close the gap in many instances. Additionally, the limit on deducting commercial property expenses under Section 179 of the Internal Revenue Code has been increased from $500,000 to $1 million. That should motivate commercial landlords to invest in their properties instead of socking away their cash reserves.
• Mortgage Interest. Commercial property owners can now deduct mortgage interest in full, and the net income is being taxed at 21 percent instead of 35 percent.
• Historic Preservation/Rehabilitation Tax Credits. South Florida is rife with buildings that have some level of historic protections and designations. One concern before the legislation was adopted was the potential elimination of a 20 percent tax credit for certified historic buildings. Fortunately, that tax credit was preserved—as long as it is claimed over a five-year period. This is big news in key urban neighborhoods in our region, especially Downtown Fort Lauderdale. We are seeing owners of historic buildings in Fort Lauderdale's urban core look to renovate and repurpose those buildings as the area becomes increasingly popular with younger residents.

Jaime Sturgis is the founder and CEO of Fort Lauderdale-based commercial real estate firm Native Realty. He specializes in leasing and investment sales in emerging markets throughout South Florida.