News
While interest rates have been at historic lows, 966,000 Australian households are estimated to be in mortgage stress and default (Digital Finance Analytics – DFA). DFA Principal Martin North says ‘the expectation is that in the next few months stress will continue to rise as mortgage rates rise’. In recent weeks, we’ve seen banks starting…
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Legislation that came into law in the last half of 2017 makes a reality measures first announced with the 2017 Federal Budget. The “housing tax integrity” bill solidifies the government’s intention to deny all travel deductions relating to inspecting, maintaining, or collecting rent for a residential investment property. As well, second-hand plant and equipment that…
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Just when many Australians are considering getting away for a mid-winter break, the ATO is reminding taxpayers that it is paying close attention to rental properties located in popular holiday destinations around Australia. The ATO recently issued a statement saying that last year it identified a large number of mistakes with deductions for rental properties,…
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Given the state of the property market in Australia these days, a not-uncommon situation can arise where a residential property owner seeks to demolish and subdivide the block containing the family home and build residential units. If you have the available land of course, the above is a solid strategy. However it can cause headaches…
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Generally, if you rent out part or all of your home, the rent money you receive is assessable. This means that you must declare your rental income in your income tax return, but you can also claim deductions for any associated expenses. However, be warned. If you rent out part of your home, such as…
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New withholding rules on the sale of property by foreign residents have been introduced. This essentially turns property buyers into potential tax collectors. The government says this change of rules has been necessary as foreign investment in Australia, including in residential real estate, has increased, and is continuing to increase, at an unprecedented rate. The…
Read moreThe ATO is focusing on claims that investment property owners make for repairs to rental residences that it deems to in fact be “improvements”. The scenario where investment properties have work done on them often happens shortly after the property is purchased, and has led to the term “initial repair” being commonly used when discussing…
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There is a concession in the CGT exemption rules that can allow a taxpayer to treat a property as their “main residence” even though it does not yet have a habitable dwelling. It is a widely recognised fact that capital gains tax (CGT) exemption applies to a taxpayer’s principal or main residential property. And one…
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Be aware of how the use of valuations can affect your annual tax bill. Estimates are most commonly used in apportioning expenses between private and business use. More important however is the use of valuations to work out the cost of transactions that are not at arm’s-length or when no actual cash changes hands. A…
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The Tax Office has found that there are some landlords who may not be entirely sure about whether they are correctly claiming their rental property deductions. In particular, it has found that many property investors are making simple mistakes that could be avoided with a little guidance. The Tax Office has identified some of the…
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