Do we need a separate bank account?

Do we need a separate bank account?

Joshua WilkePro Member
Member since 2022 · 1 post · 2 votes

We have been reading and learning about real estate for a couple of years, and just bought our first property.  Now that we are able to put the learning into practice we are discovering much that we don't know. :)

Should we be setting up a separate bank account? My understanding was yes, but this is what our accountant said today: 
"Sounds like you’re already on the right track by keeping separate bank accounts. Since this will be 100% rental (assuming no personal use), then the record keeping will be easy…all expenses will be deductible or capitalized.

While you may be thinking of the rental property as a business, it’s usually considered an income-producing investment, not a business. That’s a good thing because it’s only subject to income tax and NOT self-employment taxes.

Rental property only becomes a business when a substantial amount of your time is spent on a regular basis managing and taking care of the properties. It can also become a business when rental properties become your primary source of income or you have several rental properties and you spend your time managing/caring for those properties.

I would not try to make your rental property a "business". So you wound not create an LLC or other business entity to hold rental property.

You also should not open a business bank account for the property. Just open a separate personal bank account that is used only for the rental.

No need for an EIN unless you plan to pay wages to someone for managing or maintaining the property."

Is this correct? Essentially, we are good as long as we have a separate personal bank account to route everything through?  We want to make sure we set everything up properly.

2Reply
176 views

Most Popular Reply

Basit SiddiqiBusiness Member
Accountant · New York, NY · Member since 2015 · 8k+ posts · 3k+ votes
3y

Sounds right to me.

I would open up another personal account. The purpose is so you can easily determine what your rental transactions are for easier recordkeeping.

Best of luck.

See this reply in the discussion

15 Replies

Jump to latestLatest
  • Basit SiddiqiBusiness Member
    Accountant · New York, NY · Member since 2015 · 8k+ posts · 3k+ votes
    3y

    Sounds right to me.

    I would open up another personal account. The purpose is so you can easily determine what your rental transactions are for easier recordkeeping.

    Best of luck.

  • Joseph PalmieroBusiness Member
    CPA · PA · Member since 2023 · 151 posts · 115 votes
    3y

    I would set up a seperate checking account to simplify your bookkeeping and cash management.  If you mix it with your personal account, it is easy to spend the rents that you may need later to cover rental expenses.

  • Accountant · Indianapolis, IN · Member since 2019 · 247 posts · 135 votes
    3y

    Yes definitely get another checking account and a separate credit card also if you aren't using one already. It will make bookkeeping and cash management easier. 

  • Real Estate Agent · Cupertino, CA · Member since 2016 · 4k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    3y

    Suggest not to print your home address on the cheques. Use a mailbox or office address. Likely to get unwanted intruders bugging you or a sue savvy people serving you some bs legal notices.

  • Nathan MillerPro Member
    Property Manager · Grants Pass, OR · Member since 2009 · 429 posts · 202 votes
    3y
    Quote from @Joshua Wilke:

    Is this correct? Essentially, we are good as long as we have a separate personal bank account to route everything through?  We want to make sure we set everything up properly.

    It's always a good idea to do a separate bank account for your rentals whether you separate them legally in an LLC or not. This helps with taxes and bookkeeping, but isn't going to help you legally. If you maintain the ownership / business personally you may be personally liable for anything that happens at that rental. If you put the property into an LLC (or other entity), then there is some separation - provided you run it like a business.

    If you operate it personally, be sure you have the correct insurance and appropriate liability limits to protect yourself.  Talk to an insurance agent to get this right.

  • Rental Property Investor · East Wenatchee, WA · Member since 2014 · 10k+ posts · 16k+ votes
    3y

    I agree with your accountant 100%. While a separate checking/savings/dba acct may make things easier to track, an LLC is unnecessary at this point.

    Good on them not complicating things unnecessarily for you👍

  • Real Estate Agent · Seattle, WA · Member since 2016 · 49 posts · 11 votes
    3y

    I agree, make sure to open separate accounts and don't comingle those funds with your personal funds. If something goes sour and your personal funds are all comingled it makes it easier for someone to claim damages and potentially go after funds outside of what might have been going into the accounts specifically for your real estate. 

  • Knoxville, TN · Member since 2017 · 8 posts · 7 votes
    3y

    Interesting. I was advised by my lawyer to create an LLC and have a separate business checking account. I only have 1 rental property at this time, and per the advice of my lawyer was to put it in the LLC. The lawyer's perspective must have been the protection of my personal assets.

  • Nathan MillerPro Member
    Property Manager · Grants Pass, OR · Member since 2009 · 429 posts · 202 votes
    3y
    Quote from @Chaelynne Pope:

    Interesting. I was advised by my lawyer to create an LLC and have a separate business checking account. I only have 1 rental property at this time, and per the advice of my lawyer was to put it in the LLC. The lawyer's perspective must have been the protection of my personal assets.


    That's not bad advice at all. If I were a lawyer I would tell every investor with one rental to do the same thing probably. Lawyer's #1 priority is liability protection and an LLC does that even better than insurance alone (assuming the LLC also gets insured). But, the overhead of maintaining an LLC is pretty high compared to just getting more liability insurance, so you have to decide what is best for you in the long run.

  • Investor · Scottsdale Austin Tuktoyaktuk · Member since 2021 · 4k+ posts · 4k+ votes
    3y
    Quote from @Chaelynne Pope:

    Interesting. I was advised by my lawyer to create an LLC and have a separate business checking account. I only have 1 rental property at this time, and per the advice of my lawyer was to put it in the LLC. The lawyer's perspective must have been the protection of my personal assets.

    Here's a post I did on LLCs that may help

    DO You Need An LLC - It Gives Me Protection, Right? My Attorney / CPA Says That. . .

    https://www.biggerpockets.com/forums/311/topics/1098136-do-you-need-an-llc-it-gives-me-protection-right-my-attorney-cpa-says-that

    All my REIs are in an LLC! Why am I being personally sued?

    https://www.biggerpockets.com/forums/926/topics/1097903-all-my-reis-are-in-an-llc-why-am-i-being-personally-sued

  • Alecia LovelessPro Member
    Member since 2019 · 3k+ posts · 2k+ votes
    3y

    @Joshua Wilke I have my properties in my personal name with a separate checking account for each. I also have a couple of different credit card accounts for different reasons to keep the rental expenses charged separately from my personal credit card charges.

    It makes it easier come tax time. For a long time I did my own shoddy job of providing bad Quickbooks year end reports from each checkbook for my accountant but this past year my accountant said I was growing too fast and needed a bookkeeper.

    If you only have one rental you can likely generate your own year end reports/documents to do your taxes with whether you do them yourself or see an accountant.

  • Investor · Raleigh, NC · Member since 2013 · 1k+ posts · 708 votes
    3y
    Quote from @Chaelynne Pope:

    Interesting. I was advised by my lawyer to create an LLC and have a separate business checking account. I only have 1 rental property at this time, and per the advice of my lawyer was to put it in the LLC. The lawyer's perspective must have been the protection of my personal assets.


    My guess is that the lawyer would be interested in helping you set up (and maybe even "manage") your LLC, thereby creating an income opportunity for himself/herself.....

  • Natalie KolodijBusiness Member
    Moderator
    Tax Strategist| National Tax Educator| Accepting New Clients · Member since 2014 · 3k+ posts · 4k+ votes
    3y

    Always a good idea to separate it. 

    Doesn't NEED to be a business bank account- but often some perks to having one and a business CC as well.

  • Member since 2025 · 1 post · 0 votes
    1y

    Made that mistake in year one and sorting my expenses was a nightmare during tax time. Now I have a separate account and it makes everything so much easier and cleaner.

  • Jason MalabuteBusiness Member
    Accountant · Los Angeles, CA · Member since 2016 · 2k+ posts · 914 votes
    1y

    That makes sense to me. I’d recommend opening a separate personal account. The reason is that it makes it much easier to keep track of your rental activity, and your recordkeeping will be much cleaner.

    Malabute & Company CPAs527 Reviews
Join the conversationCreate a free account to reply, vote on answers and follow this thread.