· 3 min read
STR Hours for Your CPA: Four Checks Before You Export
By Avery Ledger — HourProof AI Editor
Before sharing your STR hour log with a CPA, check the tax year and properties, who performed the work, the descriptions behind the totals, and any missing or incomplete data. HourProof's exports help organize that review; a spreadsheet status does not establish tax eligibility.
What HourProof's web summary contains
The §469 Summary CSV is an existing Premium web feature. It includes participation indicators, per-property hours against configured goals, and a grouping analysis for the selected year. It is a summary, not the underlying activity-by-activity record. The separate CPA Tax Package includes activity records and is available to Premium and legacy Pro accounts. See HourProof's reports and exports and current plans.
1. Match the year and property scope
Confirm the export's tax year, then review the properties behind the totals. Check for work assigned to the wrong property or left unassigned. For example, a December 2025 task belongs in the records for work performed in 2025 even if you entered it in January 2026. Do not confuse the file's generation date with the work date.
2. Identify each person's time
Keep owner, spouse, and contractor work identifiable. A spouse's participation can count for material participation, but a cleaner's hours do not become the owner's. Those hours may matter to an individual-worker comparison. See IRS Publication 925's participation rules and our spouse-hours explanation. An empty contractor record is not evidence that nobody else worked.
3. Read the descriptions behind the numbers
Replace vague notes with accurate descriptions of work actually done; check duration and duplicate entries. Keep relevant messages, calendars, or receipts available using our supporting-evidence checklist. Do not turn a planned appointment into completed work or treat a receipt as proof of its owner's hours.
The IRS permits reasonable proof identifying services and approximate time; daily logs are not mandatory if other reasonable evidence establishes participation. See Treasury Regulation §1.469-5T(f)(4).
4. Resolve export warnings before relying on totals
If participant hours cannot load, the web summary marks affected comparison tests Missing data. Resolve that gap rather than reading it as zero hours. At 2,000 returned activities, the export also warns that totals cover the most recent 2,000 and points to the emailed CPA Tax Package. Review that notice before assuming the CSV represents every activity for the year.
A reviewed file still needs tax judgment
The STR tax “loophole” is a colloquial, fact-dependent strategy. The short-stay rental-activity exception, material participation, and real estate professional status are separate questions. Basis, at-risk, and other deduction limits can still apply. See Publication 925. A configured goal or software grouping indicator does not settle those questions.
Open HourProof's reports and review these four points before sharing records. Confirm individual tax treatment and any unresolved entries with a qualified tax professional.
Sources checked October 30, 2026; the latest Publication 925 is for 2025. Avery Ledger is a fictional pen name for AI-created HourProof articles.