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HourProof for CPAs
Explain the app in a compliance-focused language CPAs can evaluate quickly: better records, cleaner exports, and less reconstruction work.
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Save Thousands in Taxes by Proving Material Participation
HourProof helps real estate investors log Short-Term Rental (STR) and Long-Term Rental (LTR) activities, track progress toward IRS material participation thresholds, and maintain contemporaneous records with evidence — so you can deduct rental losses against active income.
HourProof is for informational and record-keeping purposes only and does not constitute tax, legal, or financial advice. Consult your CPA or tax professional for actual tax savings and IRS compliance.
Available on iOS · Android coming soon
Everything you need to prove material participation
Purpose-built for real estate investors who need to meet IRS material participation requirements for Short-Term Rental (STR) and Long-Term Rental (LTR) properties.
Built-in Timer
Start a timer when you begin working on a property. Activities are logged with precise duration automatically.
AI-Assisted Logging
Describe your activity in plain English and let AI extract the category, duration, and property details for you.
Voice Input
Speak your activities hands-free. Voice recognition converts speech to structured activity logs instantly.
Evidence Attachments
Attach photos, receipts, documents, and emails as evidence to any activity for IRS-ready contemporaneous records.
Goal Tracking
Monitor progress toward the 100-hour Short-Term Rental and 750-hour Long-Term Rental material participation thresholds with visual dashboards.
Export Reports
Generate detailed reports grouped by property, category, or date range. Export for your CPA or tax documentation.
See HourProof in action
A clean, intuitive interface designed for fast activity logging on the go.
STR Strategy
Understand the STR tax strategy without relying on fuzzy memory
Many investors search for the "STR tax loophole" when they are really trying to understand how short-term rental activity can be treated differently when material participation is present. The tax position may be nuanced, but the operational problem is simple: if you cannot show your work, you weaken your case.
Contemporaneous Records
Good logs turn scattered property work into usable documentation
Contemporaneous logs capture the date, property, task, duration, and supporting evidence close to the time the work happened. That is much stronger than rebuilding a year of hours from old texts, receipts, and calendar guesses a few days before tax filing.
Who It Helps
Built for hosts, landlords, and real estate professionals
HourProof is a rental property activity tracker for investors who need cleaner documentation around short-term rental management, self-managed portfolios, and year-round participation tracking. It helps keep records organized before tax season becomes a scramble.
Growth Pages
Partner and template pages built for commercial-intent searches
These pages target the queries that convert better than broad informational traffic: CPA workflows, cost seg conversations, and material participation templates.
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HourProof for Cost Seg Firms
Show how better rental activity logs can support conversations around tax strategy, documentation discipline, and year-round client readiness.
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HourProof for Property Managers
Help investor clients document material participation with organized logs, evidence attachments, and CPA-ready reports.
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Material Participation Log Template
A search-friendly template page for investors looking for what to track, how to structure entries, and what evidence to keep.
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Common questions about STR logs and material participation
What is the STR tax loophole?
Investors use the phrase "STR tax loophole" to describe a short-term rental tax strategy tied to material participation rules. It is not a shortcut by itself. The strategy depends on facts, time spent, and proper records, so investors should confirm eligibility with a CPA or tax advisor.
What is the 750-hour rule for real estate?
The 750-hour rule is one of two requirements for qualifying as a real estate professional under IRS rules. You must spend at least 750 hours per year in real property trades or businesses in which you materially participate, and real estate must be your primary time commitment (more than half your working hours).
How many hours do I need for material participation?
It depends on which of the 7 IRS tests you use. The most common are Test 1 (more than 500 hours in the activity) and Test 3 (more than 100 hours, and more than anyone else). For STR investors who self-manage, 100+ hours is often the most accessible threshold.
Why do contemporaneous logs matter for rental real estate?
Contemporaneous logs help show what work was done, when it was done, how long it took, and which property it supported. That makes your records more credible than reconstructing hours after the fact from memory.
What should a material participation log include?
A strong log includes the date, property, activity description, duration, and supporting evidence when available, such as receipts, photos, emails, or calendar entries.
Do Airbnb hosts need to prove material participation?
Yes, if you want STR rental losses to offset active income. Short-term rentals with average stays of 7 days or less are not classified as rental activities under passive activity rules, so material participation alone can make losses non-passive — without needing real estate professional status.
Can HourProof help track short-term rental hours?
HourProof is designed to help real estate investors log rental activities, track progress toward participation thresholds, and keep organized records in one place. Users should still rely on their tax professional for advice about eligibility and filing positions.
Is HourProof free?
HourProof offers two paid plans: Pro ($14.99/month) and Premium ($24.99/month), both with annual billing options. Pro covers core tracking and reporting, while Premium adds AI-assisted logging, calendar sync, and advanced evidence workflows.
Resources
Guides for investors who need cleaner rental records
Straightforward articles on material participation, contemporaneous logs, and better documentation habits for short-term rental owners and real estate investors.
2026-03-24 · 6 min read
Cost Segregation and Material Participation: How They Work Together
Cost segregation accelerates depreciation. Material participation makes those deductions usable against active income. Here is how the two strategies work together.
Read article2026-03-24 · 6 min read
Rental Property Grouping Election: How to Combine Activities for Material Participation
The grouping election lets you combine hours across properties for one material participation test. Here is when it helps and when it can hurt.
Read article2026-03-24 · 7 min read
Airbnb Host Material Participation: How to Qualify and What to Track
Airbnb hosts have a tax advantage: STR losses can be non-passive without REPS. But you still need to prove material participation with documentation.
Read article2026-03-24 · 7 min read
How to Document Rental Property Hours for the IRS
The IRS expects detailed, dated, specific records. This guide covers exactly what to log, how often, and what evidence to keep.
Read article2026-03-24 · 7 min read
Schedule E Rental Loss Deductions: Passive Activity Rules Explained
Rental losses can be powerful tax benefits — but the IRS has strict rules on when and how much you can deduct. Here is how it works.
Read article2026-03-24 · 8 min read
Real Estate Professional Status (REPS): Requirements, Tests, and Documentation
REPS is one of the most powerful tax designations for rental investors. Here is everything you need to know about qualifying and documenting it.
Read article2026-03-24 · 7 min read
STR vs LTR Tax Treatment: Key Differences for Real Estate Investors
STRs and LTRs are taxed very differently. The 7-day rule changes everything about passive activity treatment, REPS requirements, and loss deductions.
Read article2026-03-24 · 9 min read
The 7 Material Participation Tests: Which One Do Real Estate Investors Use?
The IRS defines seven material participation tests. You only need to pass one — but you need to know which one fits your situation and how to document it.
Read article2026-03-24 · 8 min read
The 750-Hour Rule for Real Estate: What It Means and How to Track It
The 750-hour rule is one of the most discussed thresholds in rental real estate tax strategy. This guide covers what it requires, how it fits into REPS qualification, and why documentation matters.
Read article2026-03-23 · 7 min read
The STR Tax "Loophole": What Investors Mean and Why Logs Matter
The so-called STR tax loophole is really a records problem as much as a tax problem. Here is what investors should understand before relying on it.
Read article2026-03-23 · 6 min read
Why Contemporaneous Logs Matter for STR Owners and Real Estate Professionals
If you are trying to support material participation, your log quality matters almost as much as your hours. This guide covers the records that actually hold up better.
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