Category
Documentation, property strategy math, and operator discipline.
Hours Log
REP Status + STR Hours Tracker (Log + CSV)
Track hours with categories, produce a clean CSV for your audit folder, and pressure-test whether your documentation is strong enough before you file.
On This Page
3 planning notes, 3 FAQs, and source links for follow-up.
Workflow
Start with sample inputs, review the live output, then save the assumptions you plan to act on.
Why This Tool Exists
If you want a real estate tax strategy to hold up, you cannot backfill the story in March. You need contemporaneous logs.
This tracker is built like an operator tool: simple categories, fast entry, totals that make sense, and an export you can give your advisor.
Execution note: Run the tool, then write down your assumptions and keep the receipts and logs as you go. The strategy that wins on paper only matters if your process holds up in the real world.
Hours Tracker (REP + STR)
Fast entry, clean categories, totals that make sense, and a CSV export for your audit folder.
Logged hours
0
Top category
N/A
Pressure test
N/A
| Category | Hours | Signal |
|---|
Strong logs are contemporaneous and specific. Pair this CSV with calendars, invoices, vendor notes, and communications.
How To Use The Tracker
Log your date, property (optional), category, and hours. Add a short note that makes the work legible later.
The tool totals your hours, shows category breakdown, and flags missing context (like lots of hours with no notes).
Export the CSV and store it with receipts, calendars, and supporting documents.
What Counts As Strong Documentation
A strong log is specific: what you did, where you did it, and why it mattered to operations.
A weak log is vague: a pile of hours with no trail. If your log is weak, your CPA inherits your risk.
Treat this like a monthly system, not a year-end event.
Common Failure Modes
Logging big batches of hours on one day without context.
No category mix (everything is just 'management').
No supporting artifacts (emails, invoices, vendor notes, calendar blocks).
Documentation Checklist (Keep It Defensible)
- Create a one-page objective memo before you execute (what outcome you are trying to buy).
- Store your assumptions and calculations in a dated PDF (no year-end reconstructions).
- Keep evidence in the same folder structure every month (receipts, logs, approvals).
- Ask your CPA what would make this easy to sign off on, then build that packet.
Primary Sources To Verify Before You Act
Use primary guidance and your own records before you treat any page like a final answer. These are the source layers that should drive the decision.
- IRS Publication 946 and depreciation guidance
- IRS passive activity rules (Publication 925)
- Current IRS forms, instructions, and publications for the relevant tax year
- Your actual account statements, payroll reports, entity records, and advisor memos
Frequently Asked Questions
No. It helps you build and export a defensible log and pressure-test the quality of your documentation. Qualification is fact-specific and should be reviewed with your advisor.
Ask your CPA for your exact rules. The practical standard is: if it is hard to substantiate, do not rely on it.
Receipts, vendor invoices, calendar entries, property management records, and any contemporaneous communications that support the work described in the log.
Use The Tool, Then Build The Full Plan Live
Before You File runs live on Zoom from Friday, April 17, 2026 through Sunday, April 19, 2026, from 10 AM to 4 PM Eastern each day. Preston walks through how to read your 2025 return, choose the right tax and wealth moves, and leave with a dated 12-month 2026 plan.
Get Your Seat Before You FileEducational content only. Results vary based on your facts. Always consult a qualified tax professional before making decisions.