--- title: "Does a Real Estate Q&A or Conference Count Toward Your REPS Hours? | Addicted to ROI" description: "An hour of Q&A or a day at a conference usually doesn't count toward the 750-hour REPS test. Why the investor capacity rule leaves it out, with the rare exception." lang: en json-ld: | [ { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://addictedtoroi.com/#organization", "name": "Addicted to ROI", "url": "https://addictedtoroi.com", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://addictedtoroi.com/images/logo.png" }, "description": "Live your best life funded by your investments. Real estate, taxes, travel, and business, by Jennifer Beadles.", "founder": { "@id": "https://addictedtoroi.com/#jennifer" }, "sameAs": [ "https://agentsinvest.com", "https://doorprofit.com", "https://repstime.com", "https://strhours.com", "https://kidspayroll.com", "https://rentstager.com" ] }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://addictedtoroi.com/#website", "url": "https://addictedtoroi.com", "name": "Addicted to ROI", "publisher": { "@id": "https://addictedtoroi.com/#organization" }, "potentialAction": { "@type": "SearchAction", "target": { "@type": "EntryPoint", "urlTemplate": "https://addictedtoroi.com/blog/?q={search_term_string}" }, "query-input": "required name=search_term_string" } }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "Person", "@id": "https://addictedtoroi.com/#jennifer", "name": "Jennifer Beadles", "url": "https://addictedtoroi.com/about/", "jobTitle": "Founder, Addicted to ROI", "description": "Real estate investor and founder of Addicted to ROI. Built an 8-figure rental portfolio across multiple states and teaches everyday investors how to build passive income.", "worksFor": { "@id": "https://addictedtoroi.com/#organization" }, "sameAs": [ "https://agentsinvest.com", "https://doorprofit.com", "https://repstime.com", "https://strhours.com", "https://kidspayroll.com", "https://rentstager.com" ] }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "Article", "mainEntityOfPage": { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://addictedtoroi.com/blog/reps-investor-capacity/" }, "headline": "Does a Real Estate Q&A or Conference Count Toward Your REPS Hours?", "description": "An hour of Q&A or a day at a conference usually doesn't count toward the 750-hour REPS test. Why the investor capacity rule leaves it out, with the rare exception.", "image": "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1475721027785-f74eccf877e2?w=800&q=80", "datePublished": "2026-07-09", "dateModified": "2026-07-09", "author": { "@id": "https://addictedtoroi.com/#jennifer" }, "publisher": { "@id": "https://addictedtoroi.com/#organization" }, "speakable": { "@type": "SpeakableSpecification", "cssSelector": [ ".tldr-answer", "h1" ] } }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://addictedtoroi.com" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Blog", "item": "https://addictedtoroi.com/blog" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Tax Strategies", "item": "https://addictedtoroi.com/blog?category=tax-strategies" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Does a Real Estate Q&A or Conference Count Toward Your REPS Hours?", "item": "https://addictedtoroi.com/blog/reps-investor-capacity/" } ] }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "FAQPage", "mainEntity": [ { "@type": "Question", "name": "Does an hour of real estate Q&A count toward REPS hours?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Usually not. Q&A, consultation, and group participation are generally investor-capacity activities, and investor-capacity time does not count toward the 750-hour test. There are rare fact-specific exceptions to confirm with your tax professional." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Do conferences count toward real estate professional status?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Generally no. Attending a conference is treated as education and investor activity rather than operating a real estate business, so it does not count toward the 750 hours." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Does studying real estate count toward the 750-hour test?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "No. Studying, reading, and general education are investor-capacity activities. They build your knowledge but do not count as operating a real property trade or business." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Is there any case where education counts toward REPS?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Rarely, and only when the activity is tied closely to operating a specific property you own rather than general learning. It is fact-specific and uncommon, so verify any such hour with your CPA before counting it." } } ] } ] --- [![Addicted to ROI](/images/logo.png)](/) [Travel](/pillars/travel/)[Real Estate](/pillars/real-estate/)[Tax Savings](/pillars/tax-savings/)[Business](/pillars/business/)[Paths](/paths/)[Blog](/blog/)[Tools](/tools/)[Apps](/software/)[About](/about/) [Login](https://members.addictedtoroi.com/) Subscribe [Travel](/pillars/travel/)[Real Estate](/pillars/real-estate/)[Tax Savings](/pillars/tax-savings/)[Business](/pillars/business/)[Paths](/paths/)[Blog](/blog/)[Tools](/tools/)[Apps](/software/)[About](/about/)[Login](https://members.addictedtoroi.com/) Contents 1. [01 The line that decides it ](#the-line-that-decides-it) 2. [02 The narrow exception ](#the-narrow-exception) 3. [03 What to do with this ](#what-to-do-with-this) [Home](/)/ [Blog](/blog/)/ [Tax Savings](/pillars/tax-savings/) Tax Strategies # Does a Real Estate Q&A or Conference Count Toward Your REPS Hours? An hour of Q&A or a day at a conference usually doesn't count toward the 750-hour REPS test. Why the investor capacity rule leaves it out, with the rare exception. July 9, 2026 5 min read Contents 1. [01\. The line that decides it](#the-line-that-decides-it) 2. [02\. The narrow exception](#the-narrow-exception) 3. [03\. What to do with this](#what-to-do-with-this) tl;dr REPS only counts hours spent operating a real property trade or business, and it specifically excludes activities done in an investor capacity. Q&A calls, consultations, real estate groups, conferences, and studying are generally investor-capacity activities, so they usually don't count toward the 750-hour test, with only a narrow, fact-specific exception. Investors ask this a lot, usually hopefully: I spent an hour in a real estate Q&A, or a full day at a conference, does that count toward my 750 hours? For the most part, no. It falls on the wrong side of the line the IRS draws between operating a real estate business and acting as an investor. There is a narrow exception, but you should plan around the general rule, not the exception. ## The line that decides it [Real Estate Professional Status](/blog/reps-and-year-end-tax-moves/) only counts activities done in the operation of a real property trade or business. It specifically excludes activities done in an "investor capacity." That phrase is where the answer lives. An hour of Q&A with a real estate investor, an hour of consultation, time spent in a real estate group, a session at a conference: those are generally investor-capacity activities. You are learning, monitoring, and analyzing rather than operating a business. And investor-capacity time does not count toward the 750-hour test. The same logic applies to studying real estate, reading books, and reviewing financials in a non-managerial way. It is investing in your knowledge, not running your properties. ## The narrow exception I say "most likely" doesn't count because there are scenarios where it potentially could. If the activity is tied closely enough to the actual operation of a specific property you own, rather than general education, the classification can shift. But that is fact-specific and unusual. It is the kind of edge case where your tax professional asks a few more questions to see whether that particular hour qualifies. Do not build your 750-hour plan on the assumption that conference and Q&A time will count, because for the vast majority of people it will not. ## What to do with this The practical lesson is to be honest with yourself about which hours are operating hours and which are education hours. The education is valuable. It just is not REPS hours. When you [log your time](/blog/track-reps-hours/), keep the learning out of the qualifying column so your total reflects only hours that would survive scrutiny. A 750-hour log padded with conference days is a 750-hour log that shrinks the moment an auditor applies the investor-capacity rule. For the full breakdown of what does and does not count, start with [the qualifying activities list](/blog/reps-activities/). This is educational, not tax advice. The rare cases where educational time might count are exactly the ones to run by your CPA. [REPS Time](https://repstime.com) is built to track the operating hours that count toward the 750-hour test. Addicted to ROI is education and community, not financial or tax advice. Talk to a qualified professional before making investment or tax decisions. ![Jennifer Beadles](/images/founders.jpg) Jennifer Beadles Real estate entrepreneur with 17 years of hands-on investing experience. Built an 8-figure rental portfolio across multiple states and has helped thousands of investors build passive income through the Addicted to ROI community. The tool that goes with this ## The software that does this for you [ Hour tracking REPS Time Log your real estate hours as you go and build the contemporaneous, audit-ready record the IRS expects for REPS, instead of reconstructing it in a panic at tax time. Start logging hours ↗ ](https://repstime.com)[ STR test STR Loophole Track the 100-hour and material-participation tests for each short-term rental so the loophole that offsets your active income actually survives an audit. Track my STR hours ↗ ](https://strhours.com) Before you close the tab ## Get the next one in your inbox. One email per new article, the day it goes up. No wall, no spam, unsubscribe in a click. [Subscribe, free →](/newsletter/)[Run a deal in the calculator](/tools/deal-analysis-calculator/) Read next [ ![The Roth IRA Is the Most Wasted Account in Real Estate](https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1554224155-8d04cb21cd6c?w=800&q=80) Tax Strategies ### The Roth IRA Is the Most Wasted Account in Real Estate 10 min read → ](/blog/self-directed-roth-ira-real-estate-investors/)[ ![How to Avoid Depreciation Recapture When You Sell a Rental Property](https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1554224155-6726b3ff858f?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3w5MjA2ODF8MHwxfHNlYXJjaHwxfHxob3VzZSUyMGZvciUyMHNhbGUlMjBzaWduJTIweWFyZHxlbnwwfDB8fHwxNzgyOTIzODcyfDA&ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=80&w=1080) Tax Strategies ### How to Avoid Depreciation Recapture When You Sell a Rental Property 12 min read → ](/blog/how-to-avoid-depreciation-recapture-when-you-sell/)[ ![Beyond the Basic 1031: Reverse Exchanges, DSTs, and the BRRRR-to-Exchange Playbook](https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1560184897-ae75f418493e?w=800&q=80) Tax Strategies ### Beyond the Basic 1031: Reverse Exchanges, DSTs, and the BRRRR-to-Exchange Playbook 11 min read → ](/blog/advanced-1031-exchange-strategies/) If you like this ## Read these next Hand-picked to go deeper on tax savings. [![The Roth IRA Is the Most Wasted Account in Real Estate](https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1554224155-8d04cb21cd6c?w=800&q=80) Tax Savings ### The Roth IRA Is the Most Wasted Account in Real Estate 10 min read](/blog/self-directed-roth-ira-real-estate-investors/) [![How to Avoid Depreciation Recapture When You Sell a Rental Property](https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1554224155-6726b3ff858f?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3w5MjA2ODF8MHwxfHNlYXJjaHwxfHxob3VzZSUyMGZvciUyMHNhbGUlMjBzaWduJTIweWFyZHxlbnwwfDB8fHwxNzgyOTIzODcyfDA&ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=80&w=1080) Tax Savings ### How to Avoid Depreciation Recapture When You Sell a Rental Property 12 min read](/blog/how-to-avoid-depreciation-recapture-when-you-sell/) [![Beyond the Basic 1031: Reverse Exchanges, DSTs, and the BRRRR-to-Exchange Playbook](https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1560184897-ae75f418493e?w=800&q=80) Tax Savings ### Beyond the Basic 1031: Reverse Exchanges, DSTs, and the BRRRR-to-Exchange Playbook 11 min read](/blog/advanced-1031-exchange-strategies/) [![7 Year-End Tax Moves for Real Estate Investors](https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1554224155-8d04cb21cd6c?w=800&q=80) Tax Savings ### 7 Year-End Tax Moves for Real Estate Investors 9 min read ](/blog/year-end-tax-moves/) Off to go build something. 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