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Section 179 Deduction: A Current Overview (as of January 25, 2026)
Table of Contents
The Section 179 deduction allows businesses to expense the full purchase price of qualifying equipment, up to a certain limit, in the year the equipment is placed in service, rather than depreciating it over several years. This provides a significant tax benefit for small and medium-sized businesses.
What is the Section 179 Deduction?
The Section 179 deduction is a provision of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code that enables businesses to deduct the cost of qualifying property as an expense, rather than capitalizing it and depreciating it over time.This accelerates the tax benefits of capital investments.
The deduction is designed to encourage businesses to invest in themselves. It’s particularly beneficial for small businesses that may not have the cash flow to handle the long-term depreciation schedule.
For 2023 (the latest year with finalized guidance as of January 25, 2026), the maximum Section 179 deduction was $1,160,000. The investment limit was $2,890,000. IRS Section 179 Information.
Eligibility Requirements
Not all businesses are eligible for the Section 179 deduction. Generally, businesses must have taxable income and cannot be claiming the deduction for property used in a passive activity.
To qualify, the property must be:
- Tangible personal property.
- Purchased for use in the active conduct of a trade or business.
- New or used.
Certain property is specifically excluded, such as land and inventory. IRS Publication 946,How to Depreciate Property details these exclusions.
qualifying Property
Qualifying property includes a wide range of assets used in business operations. This includes, but isn’t limited to, machinery, equipment, vehicles, computers, software, and office furniture.
Recent changes have expanded the definition of qualifying property to include certain improvements made to nonresidential real property. Specifically, improvements to roofs, HVAC, fire protection, alarm systems, and internal structural frameworks can qualify. Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (specifically provisions related to energy-efficient commercial buildings).
For example, a manufacturing company purchasing a new robotic arm for its assembly line could utilize the Section 179 deduction to expense the full cost of the arm, up to the deduction limit.
Bonus Depreciation and Section 179
Bonus depreciation and section 179 are often used together, but they are distinct tax benefits. Bonus depreciation allows businesses to deduct a percentage of the cost of qualifying property in the year it’s placed in service, while Section 179 has a specific dollar limit.
as of January 25, 2026, bonus depreciation is being phased down.For property placed in service in 2023, the bonus depreciation rate was 80%. It decreased to 60% in 2024, and 40% in 2025. It is indeed scheduled to be eliminated entirely in 2026.
