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GDS life for a Aerial Photography Drone?

PostPosted: 13-Sep-2019 8:57am
by basisschedule
I'm thinking 7 years due to no other available class life. Correct, or no?

Re: GDS life for a Aerial Photography Drone?

PostPosted: 13-Sep-2019 9:44am
by Anderly
Is it possibly Asset Class 57 with a 5 year GDS life?

Re: GDS life for a Aerial Photography Drone?

PostPosted: 13-Sep-2019 2:40pm
by HowardS
class 00.21, aircraft & helicopters? 5 yr.

Re: GDS life for a Aerial Photography Drone?

PostPosted: 13-Sep-2019 8:06pm
by basisschedule
Anderly, good suggestion. I definitely think it would fit there.

Also a good call, HowardS. I found this non-authoritative article from 2016 that concurs.

"The IRS has not yet made a determination of the asset class for drones; however, they likely will be in the same class life as airplanes and helicopters which means they will be depreciated over five years." https://www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/ ... e.amp.html

Re: GDS life for a Aerial Photography Drone?

PostPosted: 13-Sep-2019 8:12pm
by ManVsTax
De minimus safe harbor...how expensive are these damn things?? :D

Re: GDS life for a Aerial Photography Drone?

PostPosted: 13-Sep-2019 9:58pm
by Coddington
00.21 is airplanes and helicopters, not aircraft.

00.21 Airplanes (airframes and engines), except those used in commercial or contract carrying of passengers or freight, and all helicopters (airframes and engines) 6 5 6


If this is the personal service of photography or the professional service of surveying (or the like), I would say class 57.0, just like Anderly said. After all, if it doesn't fit in one of the asset-based classes, it would go in the activity class of the business in which it is used.

Re: GDS life for a Aerial Photography Drone?

PostPosted: 17-Sep-2019 8:49am
by basisschedule
ManVsTax wrote:De minimus safe harbor...how expensive are these damn things?? :D


In this guy's business, they are $1000 to $3000. Lenses also run about $1000. This guy does real estate videos and marketing videos for local businesses, municipalities, and colleges.

There are other applications that are much more expensive - lidar, mapping, sonar, archeology/paleontology, even heat sensors for search and rescue.

Re: GDS life for a Aerial Photography Drone?

PostPosted: 17-Sep-2019 10:50pm
by dave829
I agree with Anderly and Coddington. Asset class 57.0 includes assets used in personal and professional services and classifies them as 5-year recovery property. Rev. Proc. 77-10 lists photographic studios as a business that offers personal services. So, based on this, I would classify the camera drone as 5-year recovery property.