Question 1

Can SheltrIQ replace TurboTax?

Accepted Answer

No — they do different jobs. TurboTax (or a CPA) e-files your federal and state tax return. SheltrIQ is the year-round rental tax organizer: it classifies expenses, tracks MACRS depreciation across years, and generates a complete Schedule E you enter into TurboTax or hand to your CPA. Most landlords use SheltrIQ all year, then file with TurboTax or an accountant at tax time.

Question 2

Why not just use TurboTax for my rental property?

Accepted Answer

TurboTax only sees your rental once a year, at filing. It can't track your expenses month to month, won't maintain a multi-year depreciation schedule, and relies on you to have already categorized everything correctly. SheltrIQ does that work all year so the numbers you put into TurboTax are accurate and you don't miss deductions.

Question 3

Is SheltrIQ free?

Accepted Answer

SheltrIQ's free plan covers up to 3 properties with no credit card required and includes AI expense classification, depreciation tracking, and Schedule E generation. Paid plans (Pro $15/mo, Business $29/mo) add bank sync, PDF exports, and unlimited properties. TurboTax charges per filing season — its rental-property tiers are typically $100+ each year.

Question 4

Does SheltrIQ track rental depreciation better than TurboTax?

Accepted Answer

SheltrIQ maintains a persistent multi-year MACRS depreciation schedule for 13 asset types (mid-month convention), plus a cost segregation estimator and depreciation-recapture tracking for when you sell. TurboTax recomputes depreciation at filing from what you enter and does not give you a year-round, auditable schedule.

Capability	SheltrIQ	TurboTax
Primary job	Year-round rental tax organizer	Files your 1040 at tax time
E-files your tax return	No — exports Schedule E to file	Yes — federal + state e-file
Cost	Free up to 3 properties	Paid every season (rental tiers $100+)
Year-round expense tracking	Yes — continuous, not once a year	No — only at filing
AI Expense Classification	Auto-classifies to Schedule E lines	Manual entry at filing
Multi-year depreciation schedule	13 asset types, MACRS mid-month, persistent	Recomputed at filing from your entries
Cost Segregation Estimator	Built-in calculator	No
1031 Exchange Tracker	45/180-day deadlines, gain deferral	Form entry only
REPS Hour Logger	750hr threshold, 14 activity types	No
Depreciation recapture on sale	Tracked + projected before you sell	Calculated at filing
Schedule E generation	Full 19-line report, export to file	Built during the filing interview
Tenant & lease management	Full CRUD + portal + maintenance	No
Handles non-rental tax situations	No — rental-focused	Yes — W-2, investments, business, etc.
Works with a CPA instead	Yes — export the Schedule E packet	It is the filing software

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