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7 Questions You Should Ask Your Quantity Surveyor

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Before that time of year rolls around again, when you have to file your tax return, you need to begin preparing your documents. While the income and expenditure are fairly straightforward, most people get stuck while preparing their tax depreciation schedules. That is why most people lean on professional tax consultants for this. If you own an investment property or a rental property, you may also require the help of tax depreciation surveyors who can make an assessment of your property and then prepare the submission schedule. Before you hire the services of such a surveyor, there are some important things which you should ask your quantity surveyor.

1. Do You Have Certified People Or Will You Outsource?

The survey work for property depreciation schedules can’t be done by just anyone; only certified and qualified surveyors can do it. But many tax consulting firms outsource the work of surveying to smaller firms. In such cases, you run the risk of having the survey done by someone who isn’t certified. Therefore, it is vital that you check with the firm as to whether they outsource any of their work.

2. Do You Have Insurance Coverage?

Surveying involves a whole lot of measuring at your property, for which surveyors need to often climb ladders or onto roofs. If they suffer a fall or any other kind of mishap, it would pose a major issue. That is why it is advised that you only hire firms who have insurance coverage.

3. What Are The Services You Provide?

The quantity surveyor tax depreciation only do the survey and measurements. After that their would need to prepare your returns as well. That is why you need to find out whether the firm you are employing only does surveys or can they provide end to end services.

4. Do You Have Any Questions For Me?

Every property has its own special features and would be differently treated by tax laws. Before the surveyor begins his or her work, you need to show them around and ask questions about your property. The answers to those questions and the surveyor’s own questions to you would tell you how well the survey would be done.

5. What Elements Would Be Included In The Depreciation Report?

Like we previously mentioned, a quantity survey is the start of your tax declaration and claims process. The Deppro quantity surveyors would finish their job and hand it over to their colleagues who would complete the rest of the process. You need to know from the surveyor what elements he or she will include in the report because that would determine the tax deduction amount.

6. What Categories of Properties Do You Handle?

It is important to learn what kind of properties their firm specialises in. There are firms which would be doing the surveys for commercial or industrial properties only. So, they might not have the required expertise regarding residential properties. It is preferable to work with someone who knows their stuff.

7. What Is Your Fee Structure?

Last but not the least; you need to know how the surveyor would charge their fees. There are some who charge a flat fee, while there are others who charge as per the square feet area of the property. There could be some others who charge a percentage of the total amount in the depreciation schedule.

Conclusion:

Asking the above questions will not only help you know how professional your quantity surveyor is, but it will also help you learn some extra information about your own property.   If you think there should be some more questions which are important to ask your quantity surveyor, please let us know so that we can share those with our readers and customers in our next post.

Depreciation Schedules – By Independent Property Inspectors

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Depreciation refers to the decline in value of a commodity or an asset. In terms of tax depreciation schedules, the term corresponds to a tax deduction or compensation for wear and tear caused to a piece of property. Rented houses, that constitute the property of taxpayers, have a tendency of suffering damages in the course of time and thus the term depreciation comes into action.

Depending on the value of a property, the property depreciation schedule of a piece of property can amount to a significant amount of money for a property owner. Whether a property is new or old, the compensation for its renovation does amount to a certain value. Keeping this in mind, a property owner must try their best to do everything to lay a claim on the tax deduction of mending or renovation.

How Does a Tax Depreciation Schedule Benefit a Property Owner?

A tax depreciation schedule is prepared by a quantity surveyor and it consists of all the components that are eligible for depreciation. The amount of money you invest for the improvement of property comes under tax exemption. That is to say, you will not be taxed for the amount of money that you invest in enhancing its value.

An important thing to bear in mind is that it is easier said than done to meet the requirements of ATO. Hiring a qualified quantifier surveyor is a good idea to make the most of an investment property depreciation schedule ATO. Though you can consider approaching an accountant, a quantity surveyor would be able to provide you with an accurate calculation.

What Amount of Depreciation Can You Expect From Your Property?

ATO tax depreciation schedule is more complicated than what it looks like on the surface. One needs to get to the bottom of the facts in order to gain a proper understanding of the value of tax depreciation for a piece of property.

An important thing to remember is that the value of depreciation depends on the age of a property. Thus, it can vary from one property to the other. Further, your property will be eligible for recovery of compensation only if you have built it after 1985.

Tax depreciation in connection with a property does not cover the land on which it stands. Even if your property was built before 1985, you can receive depreciation on all Plant and Articles.

Final Thoughts:

It is important to conduct the depreciation of a property due to a variety of reasons. Firstly, it necessitates a property owner to carry out a thorough inspection of their property. This can help an owner identify all the existing problems in their asset.

Further, it also encourages an owner to promote the value of a property with the assurance that the costs for improvement will not come under the slab of taxation. A piece of property which undergoes maintenance and improvement from time to time remains in proper shape for long-term use.

Is it Worth Obtaining a Quantity Surveyor Report?

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Have you invested in a rental property in Australia which was built in a year preceding 1987? If so, then things might be different for you than for those who bought their property in the following years. You may be confused in regards to getting a tax depreciation report from one of the qualified tax depreciation surveyors in your city.

Is obtaining a quantity surveyor’s report worth the effort, time and money? Read on to find out.

What Does a Depreciation Schedule Involve?

A quantity surveyor is a dedicated professional who works on depreciation schedules and the capital allowance of investors. When they complete both, it includes two essential elements: equipment depreciation and capital work deductions.

What Is Capital Works Deduction and Why Is It Important?

Capital works deduction is a form of tax deduction which relates to the structural aspects of a building. These include irremovable or fixed assets like tiles, doors, sinks, windows, walls, roof, etc.

Because it is next to impossible to remove these assets, capital works deduction, in the tax depreciation reports, assumes its importance. This prevents an investor from feeling the pinch on their finances at the subsequent stages.

Is there any Hard-and-Fast-Rule Related to Quantity Surveyors which one Needs to keep in Mind?

For the successful generation of these reports, it is imperative that tax depreciation quantity surveyors, who undertake the responsibility, are registered tax agents. This is all the more important in view of the fact that the information in the document relates to particular tax advice.

How Getting A Quantity Surveyor’s Report Helps?

According to the current version of tax legislation in Australia, any residential or commercial property built before September 15, 1987, and July 20, 1982, respectively, are not eligible for deduction.

As a result, an investor may not even consider the need to obtain a surveyor’s report if their date of purchase of property does not make them eligible for it.

However, it is a good idea to enquire about the possibility for a deduction, even if the property in question is 100 hundred years old. Owners of old properties carry out renovations more often than not, and this makes an investor eligible to make depreciation claims after its purchase.

A new buyer can file a claim for it in the event the previous owner carries out any repair or renovations on it after the aforementioned dates for residential and commercial properties.

So, as you would have come to know, getting a depreciation report is your best bet to make a claim for it in a timely manner.

Whether it is ATO guidelines or other tax depreciation laws in Australia, things keep changing from time to time. Therefore, it is a good idea to get in touch with depreciation service firms such as Deppro Perth. While you may spend a little in terms of fees, the dividends it may pay can make it worth the investment.

How is Depreciation Applied Following Natural Disasters?

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Natural disasters are one of the leading causes of damage to properties. Situations involving such disasters often necessitate owners to substitute various assets. At times, depending on the degree of damage, they may also feel the need to rebuild their properties.

Though it can be a challenging task for both owners and tenants alike to deal with such a situation, there are ways to mend it. As it can be expensive, owners consider linking it to tax depreciation schedules. If you do not know much about depreciation, here are the things you need to know to maintain depreciation deductions for damaged properties:

Assessment and Depreciation of Disaster-Stricken Properties:

According to Australian tax rules, it is important on the part of an owner to submit a report on a damaged property to claim the expenses. Regardless of whether you repair, replace or improve an asset, you need to submit the property report to the concerned authorities.

Furthermore, the consequences may differ slightly, based on whether the property in question is an insured property or an uninsured one. Depending on whether or not the inspection of a property has been done, there can be two set of possibilities for an owner which are as follows:

A Quantity Surveyor Has Inspected the Property:

In this scenario, the owner can make adjustments to the original report and apply it without spending a huge amount of money. This also saves a lot of time and hassle.

A Quantity Surveyor Has Not Inspected the Property:

This can be a little tricky to handle. In this case, a property owner needs to contact a quantity surveyor for a thorough inspection of the property as soon as possible. The rationale behind it is to prepare a property report in a timely manner. When one fails to complete this quickly, it can land one into various complicated circumstances.

If you repair an asset, you can claim the deduction of the expense for it, irrespective of whether you have insured your property. The capital allowance values and the individual depreciable asset will need adjustments for the replacement of insured properties. For uninsured properties, the residual value of the replaced asset will cease to exist and forecasting of depreciation of new asset will follow.

What Should An Owner Do to Get the Right Depreciation Rate for Their Property?

The extent of ATO depreciation rates varies from case to case, depending on the kind of damage from a natural disaster.
In order to understand the ATO guidelines, it is important to gain an in-depth knowledge of various aspects related to filing the Australian tax return. You need to reach out to an expert for information about the scope of maximizing the future, present of previous depreciation claims.

Conclusion:

The preparation of the property report according to the ATO guidelines is your best bet to claim the depreciation expenses in your tax return with success. Unless you are an expert in this field, you should avoid taking it on your own. It makes a lot of sense to assign the task to a qualified professional with years of experience in this connection. This will help you to be on the safe side and prevent the possibility of getting into any legal issue.

How You Can Benefit from a Depreciation Schedule

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Depreciation is an amount which is an acquired cost upon the asset’s original value corresponding to the service life of the asset. Over the years for which a company uses a machine, it becomes next to impossible to spend on a single asset for one long period. Therefore, it is essential to depreciate the allocation of the budget over the depreciation expense. It is one of the most under-employed rights which are available to property investors.

Tax depreciation schedules differ from other deductions that relate to property investment. It is a deduction that you can claim without much costs in a year. In general, you can pay a one-off fee and receive a 40-year depreciation schedule. Your analyst can use it each year to overcome your taxable income legitimately.

Advantages of Tax Depreciation Schedule

You can break a depreciation schedule into two divisions. One is the capital works and plants, and the other one is the article. The capital works continue to be the productive structure cost, any improvement or addition and frequently permanent assets that form an element of the construction or enclosing buildings.

These assets usually depreciate beyond 40 years and further form the ‘backbone’ of the depreciation statement. The factory & articles, called as plant and equipment, are the movable assets such as glass furnishings, devices, carpeting, exhaust coolers, fire bells, etc. These assets decrease at varying proportions based on the kind of asset and their shelf life as decided by the depreciation on investment property ATO. The shelf life of these valuable items falls between 5 and 15 years. This is the principal reason for the fall of more notable depreciation claims in the early years.

What are Tax Depreciation Schedules For?

Depreciation schedules can be altered to maximise certain advantages under the Australian tax law. These include the direct write-offs, low-value pooling and in taking the support of various partners and raised thresholds. After the inspection is complete and the data is accumulated under one file, it is given to the accountant. The information is provided in a compatible forma with that of the software. It not only eases off the workload, but also leads to certain benefits that exceed the expectations of investors in the long run.

Utilising a depreciation rate also encourages businesses to record assets at their net book cost. Organisations initially take into account the secured assets in corresponding to their original prices, along with an analysis of the wear and tear over time. As a matter of fact, the value of the asset usually declines over time, and that’s the basic depreciation schedule one needs to know.

Therefore, firms must calculate the tax depreciation investment property with the net cost price and deduct it from the accumulated depreciation cost.

You can highly benefit from the depreciation schedule and make sure you can get the maximum claims. Get hold of expert property depreciation consultants for convenient services.

How to Maximise Depreciation for Investment Property

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One can consider depreciation of a property as a simple deduction on the actual worth owing to the ageing and wear and tear of the property that one owns. It can be termed as the deduction that results out of overtime assets. When it comes to investment, even the most experienced investor tends to overlook the benefits of a depreciation report. While there are accountants for a majority of tasks related to the calculation of taxes, there is hardly anyone who pays attention to depreciation schedule for investment property.

Property Tax Depreciation

The value of a building goes down as it gets older. This is because, in the majority of cases, such buildings show the signs of wear and tear. According to Australian Taxation laws, and the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) in particular, a property owner can claim depreciation if they generate income from their property.

Tips for Property Tax Depreciation

While your accountant can take care of all the aspects related to your business, they are likely to miss out on a depreciation schedule for investment property. After all, it is a payment which the administration owes to you. Though all accountants never overlook the matter, a majority of them prefer to have it handy while preparing your tax return. So, it is a good idea to reach out to a quantity surveyor for an assessment of your property.

Do Older Properties Offer a Good Depreciation Value?

Contrary to the notion that older properties have no depreciation value, the truth is that every property has some sort of depreciation value if it is used by its owner to generate some kind of income. Though the depreciation of a new property is much more compared to an older one, the latter can also carry a greater value than by virtue of updates and renovations.

Why Attach Importance to Tax Depreciation for Your Property?

On an average, about 80% of investors do not mind promoting the depreciation deductions. If you happen to be one of them, it is high time you made efforts to maximise it as far as possible. What’s more, the ATO has a provision wherein it allows taxpayers to go back to two previous tax returns and amend them to claim deductions. So, if you haven’t been claiming depreciation on your property, utilise it to your fullest advantage.

What to Remember for a Higher Yield on Investment Property?

An important thing to remember in connection with depreciation is that a majority of homeowners forget to take renovation into account while filing their tax returns. With every renovation, there is also the possibility of the existing assets being replaced by something new. And this makes for a cogent reason to qualify for depreciation. The ATO provides for claiming the remnant of value for depreciation in such cases.

Never miss the opportunity of having a quantity surveyor inspect your property in accordance with investment property depreciation rules. Make sure that they document each and everything as the ATO is likely to take their report into account. Once the renovation is done, ensure that the same surveyor takes a look at the property and notes down the details of it to determine the assets that have been removed or replaced.

Final Thoughts:

As a standard rule, remember to only get in an experienced quantity surveyor when you plan to get your depreciation schedule done. While there are other low-cost DIY options that you can explore as well, you may eventually end up spending more. Furthermore, the remuneration of a quantity surveyor, even as it proves to be more than that of your liking, is 100% tax deductible. Thus, even if you pay them a higher fee, it wouldn’t hurt you as you would get it back.

How Depreciation Works for a New Investment Property

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The value of everything diminishes over time. This holds true for everything you buy or own. So if you buy a television, then its value will diminish by a certain amount or percentage every year. This is called depreciation. The extent of depreciation depends on the expected life of the television. So if you bought it for $800 and you expect it to function for 4 years, then each year the depreciation is $200. When it comes to buying, owning, and selling real estate, the principle of depreciation works in the same way. The process for claiming depreciation on investment property must be clearly understood to ensure that unnecessary tax is not paid. The tax depreciation investment property rules are different for old (already existing) property and new property. Let us examine the various aspects of depreciation on a new investment property.

Types of Tax Depreciation Investment Property

Depending on which part of the property is being assessed, there could be two categories of assets for which depreciation can be claimed, as per the guidelines of the investment property depreciation schedule ATO. The first is the capital works assets. This refers to the actual structure which is immovable in nature. It includes the cost of the walls and roof of the house as well. These assets are expected to last for much longer. For example, the depreciation of a building is expected to take place over a period of 40 years, so each year the depreciation would be only 2.5%. The second category is referred to as the plant and machinery assets. These are other assets which are added on to the house, and which have much shorter life spans. For example, the curtains, air conditioners, computers etc. would all be calculated as plant and machinery assets. For the calculation of tax depreciation investment property, the ATO has made a detailed list of expected lifespans of all the possible assets in a house.

Ways of calculating depreciation

There are usually two ways in which depreciation can be calculated. We already discussed how depreciation means the gradual reduction of the value of an asset over its service life till it becomes zero. The two ways of calculating depreciation assume different velocities of this reduction of value. The prime cost method assumes that the depreciation takes place in equal amounts every year. On the other hand, the diminishing value method assumes that the drop in value is greater in the first few years and then flattens out.

How to Create a Depreciation Schedule

We have already discussed the two types of assets for calculating depreciation. We also saw the two different ways of calculating depreciation. But beyond these two things, there are other factors that need to be taken into account for calculating a depreciation schedule. Based on this depreciation schedule, the tax write-offs and allowances would be calculated by the ATO. That is why it is very important that the depreciation schedule is perfectly created so that you do not lose out on any allowable deductions, nor do you end up paying extra tax. That is why it is important that you use the services of a good tax consulting agency. A good agency would have your property evaluated by a qualified quantity surveyor, who would list down every small and big asset on your property. Based on the report provided, your tax returns can be accurately filed.

The rules governing existing and new investment properties in Australia are different. If you want to get the best benefits from your tax depreciation investment property, you need to use the services of a dependable tax consulting agency.

Why You Need a Quantity Surveyor for Property Depreciation Schedules

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A residential or commercial property construction is never easy. During construction, a record needs to be maintained for every expense. This could include materials, labor, registrations and other costs. A quantity surveyor keeps track of the construction costs. But that is not his only job. He also monitors the costs so that they stay within budget. The report of the quantity surveyor also helps create an accurate property depreciation schedule. That, in turn, would help claim the depreciation tax benefit and also sell the property at a fair rate.

Compliance Rule for a Property Depreciation Schedule

It is not enough for the property owner or the contractor to keep track of quantities and costs. That won’t be admissible by law in a property depreciation schedule. The tax claim must have a quantity survey done by a registered quantity surveyor. It can’t be done by a chartered accountant or by the owner himself. The property owner must use the services of an enlisted quantity surveyor for tax depreciation investment property.

Benefits of Quantity Survey

One benefit of using a registered quantity surveyor is the compliance to regulations. But there are more. You would also be able to get the most accurate measurements. They would be aware of the latest regulations and prepare reports accordingly. For example, did you know that there was a change in tax rules in 2017? Has this had an impact on tax depreciation schedule for rental property? A licensed surveyor would help you get the accurate tax allowances as well.

The Process of Completing a Quantity Survey

A good quantity surveyor would involve several site visits and accurate calculations. The surveyor would carry out physical visits several times. This would help him to take all necessary measurements. Once that’s done, the current regulations would help to make all the calculations.

An accurate property depreciation schedule would need several inputs. A registered quantity surveyor would help in making an accurate assessment of depreciation.

What Is a Rental Property Depreciation Schedule?

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When you own investment property or rental property, the value decreases every year due to depreciation. But you can also claim tax allowances on the depreciated amounts every year. A rental property depreciation schedule can help you understand the amounts you are eligible to claim on your tax returns every year.

ATO Compliant Depreciation

The Australian Tax Office (ATO) fixes the rates of depreciation applicable for rental and investment property. The rental home returns need to be filed in accordance to these ATO depreciation rates and must be compliant with other ATO guidelines as well. Only an ATO compliant rental property depreciation schedule should be used for filing tax returns. There have been some changes to the tax and depreciation rules in 2017, and the property owner should be aware of what depreciation allowance is permissible on each of the assets on the property. The rules for Capital Works depreciation and Plant and Equipment depreciation as laid down by ATO should be followed.

Get Rental Property Depreciation Schedule from Experts

You can easily make your tax returns compliant by using the services of a reputable and trustworthy company. A Deppro depreciation schedule would be created with the help of registered and knowledgeable quantity surveyors. Each element of your property would be divided into the correct categories and depreciation rates applied accordingly. The quantity surveyor would take accurate measurements of all the construction elements and other assets of the property. Based on those numbers, the annual depreciation would be calculated. A cumulative calculation of subsequent years should also be provided.

If you wish to file accurate tax returns and not miss out on any allowances you are eligible for, you need to first get a rental property depreciation schedule prepared with the help of a registered quantity surveyor.

Do You Need to Make Estimated Tax Payments?

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You might be planning to pay advance tax or it might be time for the last tax submission date. Whatever your situation, it is always useful to estimate tax returns in advance, to ensure you plan your finances carefully. Tax returns can have several aspects, depending on your profession and your source of income. So keeping some time in hand is a good idea. Not to mention, you may be eligible for tax refunds from earlier years, so you should take that into account in your tax estimate as well.

Impact of Property on Tax Returns

If you are the owner of a rental or investment property, it will impact your tax liabilities. Every property attracts depreciation as per ATO rules. However, there is an upside, as property depreciation makes you eligible for tax allowances. This reduces your tax when you file your tax return Australia. But to ensure you get this reduce in tax, it is crucial your depreciation schedule has been made properly. This helps calculate the correct tax breaks you are eligible for. However, the current applicable laws must be considered when making the schedule. This will ensure that the property owner doesn’t pay double tax and assist with claiming the maximum deductions possible.

How to Estimate Tax Returns with Correct Depreciation

To estimate Tax Returns with the accurate depreciation, a property and all of its assets must be correctly assessed. This is where a reputable company like Deppro can help. They have qualified expert quantity surveyors on their rolls; they can help you to make the most accurate property depreciation schedule. Firstly, the surveyors make several field visits to take accurate measurements. This is then used to quantify each asset’s depreciation for each year.

When you wish to estimate tax returns, you need to take depreciation and refunds into account. Reputable companies with skilled staff can help you do these calculations. Instead of wasting your own valuable time, these companies do it all for you!