Final answer:
For tax purposes, the property should be classified as a mixed-use property because it was used by Francisco and his relatives for personal purposes but also rented out for a substantial number of days. Personal and relatives' use does not exceed the threshold that would classify it strictly as a rental property.
Step-by-step explanation:
When your student is looking to classify Francisco's beach house condo activity for tax purposes, they need to consider how often it was rented out versus used personally or by relatives. According to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) guidelines, the property can be considered a rental property if the owner used it for personal purposes for not more than 14 days or 10% of the total days it was rented at fair market value, whichever is greater. In Francisco's case, personal use days were 10, and it was used by relatives for 90 days. The key factor here is whether the relatives paid fair market value for the use of the property. If they did not pay, those 90 days cannot be considered rental days. However, since the property was actually rented out for 200 days, which is significant, the property is more likely to be classified as a mixed-use property, one that is used both as a residence and as a rental. This is because personal plus relative use (100 days) does not exceed the greater of 14 days or 10% of the rented days (200 days 10% = 20 days), but still constitutes notable personal use.