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How Depreciation Works for a New Investment Property

When you buy or own an investment property, you are responsible for the maintenance and upkeep. But the property also becomes part of your assets, and therefore it gets linked to your tax liability, and therefore you should consider it as part of your investment property calculator.

What is Depreciation?

As per the principles of accounting, any asset loses value with time, and every year its value decreases, this is called depreciation. We see this most commonly when the value of an automobile is calculated by the insurance company every year before calculating the annual premium to be paid for its insurance. The value of the car is reduced every year, and the new premium is calculated as a percentage of this reduced value, not on the basis of its purchase price.

Benefits of Depreciation

The ATO allows property owners to get the benefits of the depreciation that their property suffers. This depreciation on investment property ATO can actually be claimed as a tax deduction while submitting the tax returns. For this, a process has been laid down by ATO, which requires the homeowner to employ the services of qualified professionals.

The Two Types of Calculating Property Depreciation

A building can have two aspects of the calculation of its tax depreciation investment property.

  • The first mode of the calculation of depreciation is on capital works. It includes all the expenses made on the construction of the building. This depreciation can be claimed over a period of forty years. This period has been decided based on the average expected lifespan of a newly constructed investment property.
  • The second mode of property depreciation is based on the value of the assets added to the building. This would include things like upholstery, furniture, electrical, and utility gadgets, etc. The list provided by ATO also lists the expected lifespan of each item. For example, a carpet is expected to last 10 years, while a kitchen stove can be expected to last two years more.

A Brief Process for Claiming Property Depreciation

The tax declaration would need to contain a detailed schedule for you to be able to claim both the types of depreciation listed above. A certified quantity surveyor would be required. This is because actual measurements and enumeration of every small and big component would be needed. Once the list is ready, the calculations can begin.

Based on the age of each component, and the rate laid down by the ATO, the total depreciation amount is calculated. Once the amount is final, then the amount of tax deduction applicable can be calculated.

Conclusion:

Many homeowners are not aware of the depreciation rules. If these rules are properly utilized, a homeowner won’t need to pay more tax than needed. A proper tax depreciation schedule for rental property can also prevent tax deduction being claimed twice for the same component. All that is needed is to utilize the services of a good consultant. The consulting company and its team of quantity surveyors will help you claim the right tax breaks.

Repairs, Maintenance Vs Capital Improvements

Before delving too heavily into this, first, you need to understand the basic meaning of repairs and improvements. So, what can be considered as a repair and what can be considered as an improvement? Improvements can add value to your property, making it more beneficial and fruitful for you in the long run. Basically, it will increase your profit at the end of the year. While repairs are needed to maintain the health of any asset or property, it will keep the asset in good and working condition for a short span of time. We would recommend discussing tax depreciation schedules with a professional and qualified accountant for this purpose.

Understanding Improvements:

The improvements may include:

  • adding assets or anything that adds value to your present property
  • upgrading to a new technology
  • adapting something to a new trend or technique
  • restoration of some aspect of a property

There can be some examples of improvements like installing a security system, an air conditioner, a heater, renovating your kitchen, replacing tiles, replacing the entire roof and much more. Improvements always add to the profit, therefore, you cannot deduct the cost of improvements in the current year. You have to keep track of the expenses and plan a tax depreciation schedule so that at the time of selling your property, you can get tax benefits from it.

For example, if your property’s current value is $200,000 and 20 years later you want to sell it for $400,000, but you have made improvements costing $50,000 then you need not pay tax on $200,000, rather you will pay tax on the amount $150,000.

Understanding Repairs:

Repairs are done in order to keep things moving and keep them in a healthy state. They are not meant to add value to your property, but they will bring the asset back to its original condition. They can only add short-term value to your assets. There is tax depreciation on repairs and maintenance that you do on your assets. Depreciation basically involves all the costs and expenses incurred to keep a property in a well-managed condition. Every expense can be related as a property depreciation tax deduction.

Some examples of repairs include:

  • repairing window glass
  • cleaning air ducts and vents
  • replacing electrodes in water heaters
  • replacing sewer pipes

Repairs can be deducted in the current year as they only aid in keeping your asset in operating condition, not causing longevity or prolong the useful life of the property. An example of a repair would be changing the oil in your bike. This will keep your bike in good condition, however not necessarily increase its life.

You are expected to perform repairs more than twice in a period of 10 years to maintain a working condition of your asset. These tax deductions are possible only when you are not using the property as your personal residence. You can file repair expenses only when you are using the property in your business or you are renting it. You can get more information and depreciation reports for your investments on Deppro.

How your depreciation schedule give you bragging rights

Having a depreciation schedule isn’t anyone’s idea of a ‘must-have accessory’ but it pays off in more ways than one. Seasoned investors and business owners with several properties under their belts know well the bragging rights they’re afforded when they’ve got the depreciation schedule in their hands.

 

It’s less work
Tax time is the bane of most people’s existence . Organising account information, making sure expenses are correct and the like is a pain if you’re not organised. When you own investment properties, or brick-and-mortar stores, the amount of work increases substantially.

This is where the depreciation report comes in. After the quantity surveyor does their walk through and the company mails you the report, a large bulk of the tax reporting for those properties is complete. You don’t have to triple-check bills or receipts for a long time unless you do renovations.

 

It lasts for a LONG time
Ordering a depreciation report isn’t an annual task. It’s valid for the lifetime of the property. Companies like Deppro create reports that last forty years, so you’re set for life, or at least as long as you have the homes/shops in your portfolio.

This means, though, you must act quickly. As soon as you settle the deal with the real estate agent, get the depreciation experts in to assess. They prefer to see everything in the condition you bought it to make an accurate report. If the previous owners made renovations, then that’s a bonus as you’re eligible to claim their work in the report!

 

More (money) for you
The biggest bragging right of all? You’re paying less tax! Because you got the depreciation report done and passed off to your accountant in record time, there’s more money flowing back to you come tax time.

Fun fact: the fee for ordering the depreciation schedule is deductible.

A depreciation report isn’t glamorous, but its benefits are worth their weight in the size of your tax return. You can feel a little smug having less work on your plate organising expenses. Your accountant has the report, and you have the time to run your business.