Uncovering the Tax Benefits of Commercial Property Depreciation
Are you facing difficulties deciding whether to invest in a commercial or residential property for your portfolio? It may become difficult to comprehend tax depreciation allowances available for investors of commercial property over those available for residential properties. There are scores of rules that are applicable and differences in depreciation discovered may vary considerably. However, when you gain awareness on commercial property depreciation, it will assist you in making informed decisions. You must acquire detailed knowledge of depreciation rules for rental property and commercial properties.
Given below are some ways that will help you in enhancing your tax benefits:
1. Are older buildings eligible for building allowance?
The building allowance can be described as a decline in the value of commercial property’s concrete, mortar, brickwork, concrete, etc. The date when construction began will help in deciding what building allowance you may claim. For non-residential properties, allowance is kept at varying interest rates. It is 2.5% (20 July 1982 – 21 August 1984), 4% (22 August 1984 – 15 September 1987), and 2.5 % (16 September 1987 – Onwards). You should have detailed knowledge of investment property depreciation rules but if you don’t, contact Deppro today to learn more.
2. Claimable objects differ by industry and actual life:
Every year, the ATO prepares a list of assets that you can and cannot claim. Commercial property owners do not have their own list. However, some assets are eligible to be claimed at varying rates to residential properties. For example, carpets are eligible to be claimed for a period of eight-year in commercial and ten years for residential. You will also find industry-specific assets that the ATO has specified for depreciation claims. And, if you have a restaurant, you can claim items in particular to your line of business. It is important to get the property valuation done by an expert.
3. Tax break assists small-time business owners:
It is worth noting that small business owners can significantly enhance their cash flow with the help of a tax break. According to the May 9, 2017, federal budget, the immediate asset write-off got stretched till June 30, 2018. The federal budget projected to stretch the legislation in 2018 once again and, after a long postponement, the extension of legislation was passed by Senate on September 12, 2018.
Conclusion:
The bigger the building, the more you may claim. The height of the building may play an important role in the amount of depreciation available for property owners. You may refer to ATO property depreciation rules. Bigger structures may attract increased deductions because there is more capital works expenditure involved in the building construction. And, multi-story buildings largely have common property assets like lifts and fire services that may lead to plant and equipment depreciation.
