Free REPS & STRtax simulators.
Will your rental losses offset your W-2 income this year? Project your hours to December 31 and see which IRS tests you'd pass, while there's still time to change course.
Example · as of June 30
- Free, no sign-up
- Runs in your browser, nothing leaves your device
- Built on the IRS material participation rules
Same goal, two routes. How do you rent?
Both answer one question: can your rental losses offset your active income this year? The IRS measures it differently depending on how you rent.
Real Estate Professional Status simulator
Measured across all your real estate work for the year, including your spouse’s on a joint return.
Sample result
Short-term rental tax simulator
Just the rental itself, with an average guest stay of 7 days or less. No professional-status hurdle.
Sample result
Sample results are illustrations. Educational planning, not tax advice.
Two minutes, one clear answer.
- Step 1
Enter your hours and your job
Hours logged so far, your weekly pace, and the hours you work outside real estate.
Logged so far0 hWeekly pace0 hW-2 hours0 h - Step 2
See your year-end projection
Your hours projected to December 31 against every test that applies to you.
- Step 3
Get a verdict and a pace
Pass or short on each test, and the weekly hours that would close the gap.
✓ On track to qualifyKeep about 14 h a week through December.
Questions about the simulators.
Is this tax advice?
No. The simulators are educational planning tools built on the IRS material participation rules. Use the result to plan your year, and confirm your position with your CPA before filing.
Is my data saved or sent anywhere?
No. Both simulators run entirely in your browser. Nothing you enter leaves your device, and you don’t need an account.
Which simulator should I use?
Use the REPS simulator if you own long-term rentals and want Real Estate Professional Status. Use the STR simulator if your rentals average a guest stay of 7 days or less and you want to use material participation without REPS.
Can I include my spouse’s hours?
Yes. The REPS simulator models married filing jointly per spouse: one spouse must pass the 750-hour and 50% tests alone, while material participation can combine both spouses’ hours.
How accurate is the projection?
It projects your current pace to December 31. The result is only as good as the hours you enter, which is why a contemporaneous log matters.
Do I need a REP Helper account?
No. The simulators are free and open to everyone. REP Helper is there if you want to log the hours and keep the records that prove the result.
The simulator shows the odds.REP Helper proves them.
Once you know your target, REP Helper logs the hours, captures the evidence and builds the CPA-ready record, so the numbers hold up if the IRS ever asks.