Design costs & hiring

Can I write off landscaping on my taxes?

No, you generally cannot write off landscaping on a personal residence; the IRS treats it as a nondeductible personal expense. What it can do is raise your home's cost basis, which may lower capital gains tax when you sell, so keep receipts for permanent improvements like retaining walls, patios, and trees.

There are exceptions. Landscaping on a rental property is depreciable as a land improvement, usually over 15 years. If you run a business from home and clients visit, courts have allowed a home-office percentage of landscaping costs in some cases. Confirm your situation with a tax professional before filing.

Deductible or not, the money goes further with a plan, and previewing the project on a photo of your yard through OutdoorBrite's plans is an inexpensive first step.

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