I am considering passive investing in real estate syndications, but have questions about the tax benefit of the depreciation/accelerated depreciation.

I am currently in a field that would qualify me as a "real estate professional" if I decided to work independently (as opposed to my current W-2 position).  

Can REPs use the depreciation from passive participation in a syndication to offset their income generated by the other services they provide?  Or are these two types of income considered to be in different "buckets"?

I have read several books on investing in syndication, and they all tout the benefits of the accelerated depreciation, but they don't really explain how this is beneficial to the average investor.  If I can only use the passive loss to offset passive income, the large amount of accelerated depreciation would not seem to be of benefit - unless there is an advantage at exit that isn't being explained fully.

Does anyone have some recommendations for further reading, webinars, etc. that might help me understand the tax implications better?  I know that I need to consult a CPA eventually, but I would like to be better informed on the basics so that I can ask the right questions.

Thanks!