The hours are yours to log. The rest of the strategy, the election statements, the cost segregation study, the position on the return and the defense if it is examined, is your CPA’s. And here the profession splits: most CPAs are generalists who see a handful of rental clients a year, and a few practices do nothing but real estate investors. The investor-friendly CPA post explains what the second kind knows that the first does not. This post is about finding one, and about the directory built into REPSLog for exactly that.

What to look for

Ask a prospective CPA four things. Have they filed Real Estate Professional Status claims, and how many? Do they understand the STR loophole as a separate mechanism from REPS, with its own tests? Have they prepared a grouping election and the Form 3115 that a late cost segregation often requires? And what will they ask you for in January? A CPA who answers the last one with “your hours by property, split LTR and STR, with the evidence” is one who has done this before.

Five questions for the first call

Before you sign an engagement letter, ask these and listen for specifics rather than reassurance:

1. How many REPS or STR loophole returns did you file last year, and how many were examined?
2. If I am audited on my hours, who represents me, and what does that cost?
3. Do you prepare the grouping election statement and Form 3115 in-house, or refer them out?
4. Which cost segregation firms do you work with, and do you review their studies before you use them?
5. What format do you want my hours log in, and when during the year do you want to see it?

A practice that lives in this work answers all five without looking anything up. The fifth answer also tells you whether they will read your log at all, which, as the audit guide makes clear, is where most claims are won or lost.

The Trusted Tax Experts section

On the REPSLog dashboard, below your hours and activity cards, a section headed “our tax experts” shows a row of partner logos. Tap one and the firm’s profile opens: name, a location line such as Nationwide, a credentials line, a video introduction when the firm has one, a description in its own words, and the parts you actually compare on:

• Specialties: across the current partners these include Real Estate Professional Status, the Short-Term Rental Loophole, cost segregation studies, entity arrangements, tax planning, audit-proof record keeping and IRS audit defense.
• Service Offerings: tax preparation and planning, bookkeeping and payroll, entity formation, engineered cost segregation studies, Form 3115 preparation and audit support.
• Meet the Team, testimonials from named clients, and case studies that open as links.

A Book a Meeting button opens the partner’s own booking or contact page in your browser. The directory is curated by REPSLog, only active partners appear, and at the time of writing there are seven firms, a mix of real estate CPA practices and cost segregation providers, all serving clients nationwide. REPSLog does not sit between you and the firm: booking, pricing and the engagement happen on the partner’s side. Details on the tax experts page.

What to bring to the first meeting

A CPA who works with these rules will want to see your log before they talk strategy, because the log tells them which tests you can realistically pass. Run Export My Log for the current year with timestamps and the Schedule E summary ticked, and bring the PDF. If the year is young, bring last year’s. If you are an STR host, the per-listing hours and the participant breakdown are what they will ask about first.

How to find a firm in the app

1. Open the Overview and scroll below the activity cards to “our tax experts”.
2. Scroll the row sideways and tap a logo.
3. Read Specialties first. An STR host should look for the Short-Term Rental Loophole there; a REPS claimant for Real Estate Professional Status and audit defense.
4. Tap Book a Meeting. It opens the firm’s own calendar or intake page.

Screenshots: How to Find a Tax Expert in REPSLog.

Good to know

• Available on every plan, Free, Starter and Premium, and during the trial, on iPhone, Android and the web app.
• There is no search or filter. Each profile lists its specialties so you can compare.
• Nothing from your log is sent when you open a profile or book a meeting. The app records only which profiles and booking buttons were tapped.
• The list changes as partners join or leave.
• Listing a firm is not tax advice, and REPSLog is not a tax adviser. Your CPA decides what applies to you.

Frequently asked questions

Does REPSLog recommend a specific CPA?

No. It lists curated partners with their specialties. You compare and you choose.

Is there a fee or a referral cut?

Booking, pricing and the engagement are entirely between you and the firm. REPSLog is not part of the transaction.

Can my current CPA use REPSLog?

Yes. Invite them with Read Only team access so they can view and export your log, or send them the export ZIP.

Do the firms work in my state?

All current partners serve clients nationwide. Check the location line on the profile.

What if I only need a cost segregation study?

Several partners are cost segregation providers. Look for engineered cost segregation studies under Service Offerings.

Related reading

• How investors qualify for REPS and the STR loophole with a real estate CPA
• Year-end REPS checklist
• How a cost segregation study works and what it costs

Try REPSLog free for 14 days on iPhone, Android or the web app.

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This article is general information, not tax advice.