The 30-second pitch
Most hosts give their CPA a shoebox (or a Quickbooks export). The CPA spends 2–4 hours sorting it, charges $400–$900, and asks you what your land basis is. You don’t know.
This workbook is the Schedule E pre-built. Land basis lives in the Property Info tab. Mileage, depreciation, expense categories, the STR loophole flag, the QBI test — all in the Audit-Defense Block. Print the Summary tab and the Schedule E is done.
Who it’s for
- Hosts with 1–8 properties filing Schedule E annually
- Anyone considering the STR loophole and wanting documentation that survives an audit
- Hosts whose CPA is “good enough but doesn’t really do STRs”
Math that earns the price
CPA prep hourly is $150–$300. Two hours saved at year-end = $300–$600 back. First time the Audit-Defense Block surfaces a missed deduction (cost seg eligibility, QBI safe harbor, mileage carry-forward), the workbook returns 20×+ cost.
Related
- The P&L Tracker
- Schedule C Tax Prep Workbook (Active STR)
- Schedule E vs Schedule C for your Airbnb: it’s not a preference, it’s a test
- The Mileage Log
- Self-Employment Tax Calculator
What's inside
- Schedule E Line-by-Line — every Schedule E Part I line (3–26a) with a worksheet feeding it. Print the Summary; that's the Schedule E.
- Multi-Property Roll-up — up to 8 properties on one workbook. Per-property P&L sheets feed a portfolio summary.
- Depreciation Workbook — straight-line 27.5-yr residential rental, mid-month convention, land-value separation. Cost segregation flag for properties where it might pay.
- Audit-Defense Block — STR loophole eligibility (IRC §469), 14-day personal-use test (Pub 527), QBI safe-harbor (§199A 250-hour test), passive-loss limitation.
- Schedule E vs Schedule C routing — flowchart + decision worksheet. Average stay < 7 nights + material participation = Schedule C consideration.
- Mileage rollup — pulls totals from TAX-001 Mileage Log if you also use that workbook.
- 1099-NEC checkpoint — confirms every paid contractor over $600 has a 1099 filed (cross-checks TAX-003 if used).
- Year-end checklist — 14 items to verify before printing the Schedule E. Save as the year-end ritual.
FAQ
- Excel or Google Sheets?
- Both. Every formula, dropdown, and conditional format works natively in either.
- How many properties does it handle?
- Up to 8 on the per-property sheets, with a portfolio roll-up. For 9+, duplicate the workbook per cluster.
- Does it handle the STR loophole (IRC §469)?
- Yes. The Audit-Defense Block walks the average-stay-under-7 test, material-participation flag, and the Schedule E vs Schedule C routing decision.
- Will my CPA accept it?
- The Schedule E Summary is print-ready and line-mapped exactly to IRS Schedule E Part I. Most CPAs save the prep hour and pass the savings.
- How is this different from TAX-002 (P&L Tracker)?
- TAX-002 is a single-property P&L. TAX-004 is the year-end multi-property Schedule E with audit-defense and CPA-ready output. Many hosts use both: TAX-002 month-to-month, TAX-004 at year-end.
- What's your refund policy?
- 14 days, no questions. Email hello@thestrledger.com.
Get the workbook
Format: Excel .xlsx + how-to PDF. Excel 2016+, Excel 365, Google Sheets compatible. Instant download after checkout. 14-day refund, no questions. Lifetime updates within v1.