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5 Tax Saving Tips on Your Investment Property

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When you purchase and own an investment property, it gives you the benefit of saving plenty of tax. You get the advantage of claiming the various expenses and some depreciation against your rental incomes. When you prepare your property depreciation reports, it helps in minimising your tax burden. You must ensure that you manage your investment in the right manner so that it yields you profit. Your investment should also help you achieve your financial goals. An intelligent property investor may adopt several strategies to reduce his tax and increase his tax benefit.

Given below are some key tips that will help you save tax on your investment property:

1. Manage your capital gains:

Capital gains created in a particular year can be reduced by offsetting it against capital losses that you face. If you are keen to decrease the capital gain on the sale of a property, you may think of selling any asset that lost its value. You get a 50% discount on capital gains when an asset is held for over 12 months. Since the saving amount is huge, you should consider the timing of any sale. It is worth noting that the important date for calculating your capital gains is the contract date instead of the settlement date.

2. Manage your capital losses:

The capital losses that you may face in any year can be extended to future years. You may adopt this procedure when there are inadequate gains to absorb in the similar year. The capital losses can be extended to future years for an unknown tenure. You will not be able to carry the losses back. Therefore, if you achieved capital gain, you can initiate a loss to offset it against. You may seek the help of experts to find out your exact property tax depreciation.

3. Claim building depreciation:

It is the depreciation that you may claim on the building itself. How you will be able to claim it will depend on construction costs.  For a large number of properties, you may claim 2.5 percent of construction for at least 40 years. You must be able to determine the construction cost. The ideal way to decide it is by hiring a quantity surveyor to make a property tax depreciation schedule for you.

4. Expenses incurred for visits to the property:

It is important to note that if you face expenses related to property visits, you will be eligible to claim them. They will help in boosting your returns.

5. Plant & equipment depreciation:

This is the depreciation of assets within the property. It will include things such as curtains, fixtures, carpet, etc. You need to upgrade or replace these things at some point of time as they tend to depreciate faster.

Conclusion:

You may claim the above expenses and reduce your tax burden every year. You must assess the tax depreciation life effectively during this process. If you are conducting any renovation or replacing something major, don’t forget to do a scrapping schedule. The quantity surveyor will be able to calculate how much value is left for a particular item. After that, you will be able to claim that in the form of depreciation.

Ways to Cut Your Tax Bills through Depreciation

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You must know that the more you use an item, the lower it becomes in value. You have probably realised, that when you try to sell your used car after one year, you would get a lower value even if it was in very good condition. This universal accounting is called depreciation. In case you own a rental property in Australia, this rule also applies to your property. But there is a flip side to this dark cloud. You can claim tax deductions on the annual depreciation on your property. In case you are not completely aware of the implications of this, read on. Like most tax rules, the rules pertaining to depreciation also have lots of fine print. It is, therefore, recommended that you get the help of professionals. You must hire the services of a tax accountant along with trained Deppro quantity surveyors. Let us discuss a few useful things you can keep in mind.

Assets on Which Depreciation is Permitted

For a rental property that you own, there are two ways of claiming depreciation. The first is on the fixed parts of the property, like the building itself. It would also include all permanent assets built into the house. The second category is referred to as plant and equipment. This includes all additional fittings and fixtures you have installed in your house. Some examples are: upholstery, furniture, electrical appliances, and even ventilation systems.

Here are three easy tips which can help you maximise the tax gains on depreciation:

Tip#1: Add on as Many Fixtures as Possible

Let us say you build an indoor swimming pool. While it would cost you money to build and then maintain, it has a tax benefit as well. This is because it gets added to the plant and machinery segment of your tax depreciation report. The more things you add, the greater are your benefits in two ways. First, these fixtures will provide a better quality of life. Second, you will be able to claim higher tax benefits.

Tip#2: Keep an Eye on Asset Value

When we mentioned plant and machinery above, it had nuances. The ATO recommends different depreciation rates for a tax return Australia. Often, the different slabs are based on the cost of the asset. So a gadget that costs less than $500 might attract depreciation at a different rate compared to the same gadget priced higher than $500. Do consult your tax accountant before you purchase your house fittings.

Tip#3: Benefit from Residual Value Write Off

Property owners often plan on renovating older properties they own. If you are also making similar plans, make sure you have a chat with your tax consultant. The reason we say this, is that it is very likely that you might be removing some old fittings. The written-off value of those fittings could be claimed the same year under depreciation.

Conclusion:

Most property owners have now realised the many benefits of claiming tax deductions due to property depreciation. But simply knowing the broad guidelines might not be enough. You should be on the lookout for legitimate ways to derive the maximum benefit.

Why You Need a Depreciation Schedule for Your Investment Property

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Savvy investors, nowadays, indulge in property investment with the prospect of re-selling the property at higher prices. While this investment decision is highly fruitful, a little know-how of the field can help in making the most of the opportunity.

Depreciation on property is one such aspect that has to be taken into consideration. With the know-how of property depreciation, information on tax depreciation schedules is also vital.

What is a Tax Depreciation Schedule?

Depreciation on a property comes from the fact that as a property ages, its components may suffer from wear and tear. The test of time inflicted upon the property leads to a decline in value. Tax Office provides claim to investors against this depreciation.

In order to claim depreciation from the Tax Office, investors require preparation of investment property depreciation schedule also known as a tax depreciation schedule. The preparation of the schedule should be done by a qualified surveyor, who will make a list of all the depreciable items in the property.

The inclusions in the depreciation schedule will be: depreciation on building allowance; depreciation on equipment; on plant; and, precise calculation of each depreciable item. Depreciation on investment property ATO approval is a must. For which you need professional help to draft it for you.

Preparing a Depreciation Schedule

Property depreciation schedule 80 reflects the numerous benefits of having your property’s depreciation schedule developed, which are as follows:

  1. Creation of tax depreciation schedules on a rental property allows the owner of the property to claim renovations done by the previous owner. The owner can also add any new improvement made on the house into the existing schedule.
  2. Beside the approval of claim, the preparation of schedules allows the owner to weigh their subsequent property investments. Investment property calculator can help them to find out the most lucrative properties in terms of depreciation benefits.
  3. Preparation of Property depreciation schedule 80 allows the owner to claim depreciation on building allowance. This means that the owner will get tax benefits upon the building’s structure like the brickwork, roof and timber work.
  4. Depreciation on plant and equipment can become highly lucrative with the aid of depreciation schedules. This is because it covers those items that can be detached from the investment property. Such items cover as high as 35% of the complete cost of a residential building
  5. The benefits of tax depreciation schedules also include improvement of cash flow. This is owing to the reduction of taxable income. Wealth creation gets much easier when the money has been freed up. These further properties can of course be weighed using Investment property calculator.

Wrapping-Up:

It’s the owner’s responsibility to both deduct the depreciating value upon their property as well to claim it. It is not the ATO’s job to remind them. Depreciation on investment property ATO can be a game-changer for an owner’s investment opportunities. Also, property owners should not forget to use the aid of a qualified quantity surveyor for creation of the schedule on their investment property like Deppro QLD.

 

 

6 Important Duties & Responsibilities a Quantity Surveyor You Should Know

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Australian tax depreciation consists of a number of aspects. It is easier said than done to fully understand the legal elements within it and therefore make an informed decision based on one’s understanding. Most home owners consider hiring a quantity surveyor to ease the workload.

A quantity surveyor discharges numerous responsibilities on behalf of their client. They undertake the following duties and responsibilities:

1. Cost Estimating:

This role involves observing all the minute details related to a building and evaluating them to estimate the possible cost of its construction. A surveyor takes design preferences and the regulations into consideration in order to come up with the right cost estimate.

2. Cost Planning:

Cost planning is all about a comparison between the actual cost of constructing a building and the budget for the project. This not only throws light on the problematic areas but also enables owners to come up with the right kind of documentation.

3. Cost Studies:

The dynamics of the real estate sector are changing day by day and the trend is likely to remain that way in the upcoming years. Quantity surveyors use cost studies to study the difference in costs between two similar projects. They prepare a tax depreciation report based on it to help their clients formulate the right kind of budget plan.

4. Time Management:

Punctuality is a vital element of success for every business endeavour. And it is all the more important in the case of construction and the real estate industry. A quantity surveyor evaluates all the factors linked to the construction of a building so a project can be executed within a given timeframe.

5. Payments to Stakeholders in Time:

It is one of the important responsibilities of Deppro quantity surveyors to take care of the payments to stakeholders in a timely manner. This lends a helping hand in avoiding disputes related to payments.

6. Timely Visits to the Site:

An analysis of the progression of a project is one of the imperatives of the success of a project. It makes perfect sense on the part of an investor to invest in a project which is doing well. At the same time, it is also important to identify poorly performing projects and look for opportunities for cost savings.

A qualified quantity surveyor holds discussions with all the stakeholders to find out if things are working fine. Thereafter, they share the updates with their clients based on their findings.

Conclusion:

The above duties and responsibilities highlight the important role of tax depreciation quantity surveyors for both existing and potential owners of properties. They are the virtual assistants who make things simple and easy.

How Real Estate Investors Can Benefit From a Property Depreciation Schedule

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Real estate is a great investment avenue. But property investors have to deal with depreciation. Every year the value of their property reduces. This is called depreciation. The rate of depreciation that each component of your property is eligible for is different. It depends on the ATO (Australian Tax Office) regulations. The Australian tax depreciation rules clearly specify the different rates. Accordingly, the tax deductions can be calculated and claimed. But for that, a complete schedule of depreciation calculations for every year needs to be created. That is called a depreciation schedule.

Process for Creating Depreciation Schedule

The first step of the process, is to get in touch with a dependable agency. This will help you save both time and effort. They will send you a qualified quantity surveyor of which will list down every single asset on your property. Then those assets are categorized as per the ATO rules. The depreciation schedule is then created with such details. A reputable agency will make the process of claiming depreciation on investment property very easy and convenient.

The Tax Benefits

Once the depreciation schedule is ready, it provides the corresponding tax breaks that are permitted by law. If the schedule has been correctly made, then the tax return will also be accurate. Therefore, there is no chance of double tax getting paid for the same item. Not to mention, you would not miss out on any taxable items. But most importantly, no eligible tax deduction option would get left out. Therefore, you can be assured that the lowest possible tax is paid.

A properly-made depreciation schedule is very important for investors. Otherwise, they can end up losing a part of their profits needlessly. Investors should have an accurate view of the tax savings they are eligible for, and such a schedule can help them.

Want to Get Hired in Real Estate? Here’s What You Can Apply For

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You don’t have to be a real estate agent to work in the property sector. Some people don’t like the publicity that comes with it. But there’s other avenues into the industry where you can build and oversee development projects, calculate expenses, or help clients on the legal side of buying their first property.

 

Real estate agent

You’ve seen their smiling faces on billboards, public seats, and on ‘for sale/rent/to lease’ signs outside buildings. These guys are on the front lines of the property industry, selling real estate and putting it up on the market. But don’t think it’s an easy job with a large salary that lets you buy that nice car. Real estate agents do twice as much work behind the scenes. They write reports for clients and the properties they manage, book inspections, and work with a legal team to make sure ownership transfers go smoothly.

Surprisingly, though, you don’t need a bachelor’s degree to work as a real estate agent. The minimum requirement is a Certificate IV in Property Services. Before you start selling, though, a license is required.

 

Quantity surveyor

A quantity surveyor is a person qualified to write a depreciation schedule. These guys will visit your property after you settle to assess the value of the plant and equipment items and capital works. The final report is sent 4 weeks after the visit.

Quantity surveyors also work on building projects. It’s their job to estimate the cost of the materials and provide a report to help with budgets. They’re also known as a construction cost manager. To become a quantity surveyor you must hold a university degree and register with the Australian Institute of Quantity Surveyors.

 

Property manager

This job comes with lots of power and responsibility. As described by SEEK Learning:

As a Property Manager, you will organise and manage the letting of commercial, residential or retail properties on behalf of their owners. You’ll liaise with tenants and owners, organise inspections and maintenance, and follow up unpaid rent.

You don’t need a bachelor’s degree unless you want to move up to higher level roles, like real estate development. The minimum requirement is a certificate in sales and property management, as well as registering with a state body.

 

Depreciation assistance for real estate professionals

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To make a sale, real estate agents need to rely on cold hard facts. Their clients need assurances that the property they’re seeing is the best investment for them. It doesn’t matter if the property is a commercial building or a home; if there’s benefits available, it’s music to anyone’s ears.

 

There’s two classes in a depreciation schedule: capital works, and plant & equipment. Capital works are things the ATO considers permanently fixed to the building (bricks, mortar, wiring etc). Plant and equipment is a different matter. Items in this category are things that can easily be removed from the building such as carpet, furniture, and even the smoke alarms. Thanks to age and general wear, the items in both categories will lose value over time. This creates an amount that can get claimed on a tax return every year.

 

Having access to ATO-approved depreciation schedules almost on-demand is a great asset for real estate agents and property managers. They can present tangible tax benefits to their clients during a sit-down meeting or even during a property inspection.

 

Real estate agents know that their clients are looking for the best deal. Presenting the depreciation schedule is a huge advantage in helping them close a sale. Depreciation is essentially the same as savings, or money back from a PAYG statement. It shows the property’s earning potential and can be the difference between a negative-geared asset and turning a profit every week.

 

Property managers will also benefit from professional depreciation assistance. If their client is unsure of the tax breaks their property can provide, managers can look up a deprecation report just as easily as a real estate agent. Oftentimes the investor doesn’t know they can order the depreciation report themselves and turns to their manager for help.

 

The benefits that real estate agents and property managers can reap from depreciation assistance are numerous. They don’t just build trust with their client by providing the basis for sound advice. They’ll net a sale and gain a reputation for handling properties with amazing tax benefits.

5 ways to find the best property investment

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The idea of property investment is exciting. Whether you’re looking to expand your business or you’re an investor wanting to add another portfolio, the anticipation outweighs the dread…most of the time. People who are new to the property game often find themselves disappointed and reaching too far outside their budget. How do you avoid this yourself?

 

  • Be realistic

You have dreams, but reality will give you a rude awakening if you’re not careful. Working towards a goal slowly and steadily ensures stable growth. If you peak too high, too fast it will all come crashing down. Not meeting payments, having bad tenants, or finding faults with the property after purchase are all possibilities if you rush into buying.

 

  • Hunt everywhere

Even though most people still look for their next property investment online, the newspaper listings are still a valuable resource.

When we say hunt everywhere, we also mean broaden your search radius. Seasoned property investors and business owners have places all around Australia. Search online for the best growth suburbs in Australia, you’re bound to see something that ticks the boxes. Which leads us to the next point.

 

  • Write a list

This will keep you on track, and honest. Whether you call it a purchase plan, a property checklist, or something else, make sure it’s on hand when you’re looking at places. If you’re concerned about depreciation, add these to the list:

  • Has any renovation work been done recently?
  • Are the fixtures in good condition?
  • Will this still give me income X years from now?
  • What’s the area in meters squared?

 

  • Turn off your emotions

This step is crucial. Letting your emotions get into the mix leads to burnout and heartache. When things don’t turn out the way you hope (you lose the bid, offer rejected, etc) of course it’s disappointing. But you keep your chin up and carry on. The best property investment for you is out there; you just have to look a little harder.

This point ties into point number one about realism. If you’re an investor looking for rental properties, don’t think about the hunt as looking for your dream home. Not even if it’s ten years down the track. You’re looking for a place that will attract tenants and generate income for you. The best property investment for you might be a home or an apartment that doesn’t  suit your tastes, but will be perfect for someone who rents it from you.

 

  • Get the professionals on your side

As soon as the property is settled, call Deppro to have a quantity surveyor inspect the property. You’ll receive the best, most accurate depreciation schedule if they see the place in its original condition.

Also invest in a property manager to find tenants (again, avoiding emotional investment). They’ll manage the bulk of caring for your portfolio. After you receive your tax depreciation report, hand it over to your accountant. They’ll make sure you get the maximum refund every year, contributing to your coffers so you can keep growing.

3 real estate strategies to build the ultimate portfolio

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Commercial, residential, apartments, houses, duplexes; the potential in real estate is endless. There’s different real estate strategies that investors can use for any of the above. Each approach has its pros, cons, and methods that will build your portfolio into something amazing.

 

Commercial property

There’s more differences between commercial and residential real estate than just the name. When placing a deposit on a commercial property, expect to put down up to 30% of the settlement price. You’ll also need a tenant that guarantees income no matter how competitive the market.

Lots of work goes into researching commercial real estate. Investors must look at demographics, market potential, spending habits of residents, and the like to make sure they get the best return. When the tenant signs the lease, the contract will last a long time compared to a residential one. Think between three and ten years.

 

Capital growth

You put a lot of work into finding a good piece of real estate, so it should work for you in return. Capital growth means you hold onto the home for a while, expecting it to make a nice profit when the time comes to sell. The resale price is affected thanks to area profile like access to schools, public transport and shopping.

Investors using this strategy must have patience if they want to see the benefits. Working a depreciation schedule into this will also help you net a larger profit. When the building depreciates, so does the cost base. Lower cost base (aka lower worth at resale) means less capital gains tax to pay.

 

Surrounding suburbs

It’s oh so tempting to buy in a capital city, but it costs more money and there’s often too much competition. The Australian apartment glut means investors are snapping up properties in bulk, almost suffocating each other in one suburb or just one building.

Popular growth areas aren’t just suburbs in the city. Regional, outlying real estate is great for negative gearing, with the eventual goal of a profit at resale. This is because investors see the potential in the homes and the general area and have the patience to wait for the right time to sell.

Buying an investment property for under $500,000

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By Paul Bennion, Managing Director of DEPPRO

 

In most capital cities of Australia, apart from Melbourne and Sydney, there are still a plentiful supply of properties priced for sale under $500,000. This includes Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide and Hobart. Major regional centres such as the Gold Coast in Queensland and Bunbury in Western Australia have this abundance of properties as well. In Perth, for example, it’s now an investors paradise. There’s many properties currently listed for sale under $500,000 located within a 20 kilometre radius of the CBD.

 

$500,000 is around half the median house price of Sydney. Properties in theses competitively priced capital cities offer a low risk entry into the property market. There’s added potential for capital growth moving forward. Yet, it’s important that first time investors take a cautious approach to their first property investment purchase. Realistically, they should focus on buying an investment property for under $500,000.

 

It’s an unfortunate fact that too many first-time investors financially over expose themselves. They buy an expensive investment property that limits their ability to purchase more in the future. This is especially the case if they purchase an expensive property in the wrong location. That could result in a financial nightmare. In contrast, buying a lower priced property that’s got the potential for strong capital growth is an important building block to creating a successful property portfolio.

 

Lower priced properties tend to have higher rental returns. This is important in a climate of rising interest rates, with the major banks increasing rates for investors over recent months.

 

Issues you should consider when buying a lower priced property include:

 

  • Spend time researching all aspects of property market before even looking for an investment property. First time property investors need to consider factors like negative or positive gearing, rental returns and depreciation.

 

  • Past trends in property values will generally indicate future trends. Therefore, it’s wise to examine the long-term capital growth rates of the suburb.

 

  • Take a broad approach to buying an investment property. Most first-time property investors buy a property in their local neighbourhood because they’re familiar with the area. By taking a narrow approach to the location of the investment property, first time investors severely limit their options.

 

  • Target suburbs in lower priced areas that have a higher number of properties for sale. A simple tip is to check the internet and weekend papers. This helps investors discover areas with a larger number of property ads.

 

  • When you have selected a suburb, don’t make an emotional decision when choosing a specific home. Most first-time investors purchase a property they’d like to live in. It’s important to remember that the investment property must appeal to a tenant who’ll be paying the rent.

 

  • Check out any planning changes proposed for the suburb. Many local governments are undertaking reviews of zoning that potentially have a major impact on property values. For example, a property that was purchased for a single residential use and then rezoned by the local council, as a triplex site. The property in turn notably increases in value.  The planning department of a local government can inform first time investors of any proposed zoning changes.

 

  • Check out any planned infrastructure changes in an area you’re interested in buying. For example, an upgrade of a local shopping centre or a new railway station will make a major impact on local property values.

 

  • Make sure that there are tenants prepared to rent your property. Rental income is a key factor in serving the loan. If you can’t find a tenant, then you’ll have problems keeping the investment property over the longer term.

 

  • Check your finances before you consider buying anything. If you have pre-approval finance it will allow you to move more quickly to secure the right investment property.