Can a Partner Buy a Work Truck Personally and Take Bonus Depreciation?

The Scenario

The Strategy

If the truck:

• Is over 6,000 lbs GVWR
• Is placed in service in 2026
• Has documented business use over 50% (in this case, 65%)
• Is required under the partnership agreement
• Is not reimbursed

Then the purchasing partner can:

• Buy the truck personally
• Depreciate the business-use portion (65%)
• Claim 100% bonus depreciation on that portion (assuming current law remains intact)
• Deduct the depreciation at the partner level as an unreimbursed partnership expense associated with the K-1 activity

The partnership carries no debt.
No capital account distortion.
No internal financing argument.

Just clean tax engineering.

Why the Paperwork Matters

The IRS does not fight heavy trucks.
They fight voluntary expenses.

If the vehicle is not required under the partnership agreement, the deduction becomes vulnerable.

That is why the addendum matters.

It establishes:

• The vehicle is required for business
• The partnership will not reimburse
• The partnership will not guarantee debt
• The partner bears all costs
• Proper records must be maintained

Without that, this becomes "nice try."

The Other Silent Rule: Substantiation

Vehicles are listed property.
Which means the IRS assumes you're exaggerating.

So you need:

• Contemporaneous mileage logs
• Business purpose tracking
• Placed-in-service documentation
• GVWR verification
• Business use staying above 50% (or depreciation recapture triggers)

Drop below 50% and the bonus depreciation monster comes back for blood.

What This Is Not

This is not:

• A reduction of K-1 ordinary income at the partnership level
• A disguised distribution
• A capital contribution
• A casual handshake agreement

It is a structured partner-level deduction supported by agreement and documentation.

Why This Works Strategically

This approach:

• Preserves partner autonomy
• Keeps partnership debt ratios intact
• Avoids forcing consensus on asset purchases
• Allows acceleration of depreciation
• Maintains clean economic separation

And most importantly - it prevents resentment between partners over equipment decisions.

Sharp CFO thinking is not about squeezing deductions.

It's about preventing partner divorce.

Download: Sample Partnership Addendum

I've created a clean, attorney-review-ready template you can use as a starting point.

Important:
This document is a sample for educational purposes only.
It must be reviewed and approved by a licensed attorney before adoption.

Download: The Sharp CFO Partner Vehicle Addendum Template (PDF)

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