Posts Tagged ‘tax depreciation’
Deductions & Depreciation for all – Why the kids are doing OK
Like any good analytical thinker, I love to hypothesise. Some think it’s a character flaw, whereas I – and those of my quantity surveying ilk – enjoy nothing more than ingesting data, extrapolating the assumptions and producing a conclusion. I was thinking about the recent federal election and the discussions put forward pre-poll day about…
Read MoreTax depreciation estimating – The value of having your finger on the pulse
Back in the day, tax depreciation was not a service that quantity surveyors offered. In fact, it’s an industry that’s not much older than 21 years whereas quantity surveying in general can be traced back to at least 1859 but possibly 1785. Sorry, you’re right, you didn’t ask. Anyway, my point is that most quantity…
Read MoreWhy would a Quantity Surveyor be the life of the party?
Listen. I’m a Quantity Surveyor (QS) who specialises in tax deprecation so, frankly, I’ve heard them all: Q. How can you tell if a QS is extroverted? A. In conversation, he looks at your shoes instead of his own. Q. How does a QS make a bold fashion statement? A. He wears dark grey socks…
Read MoreMy favourite QS BS – The top three furphies spouted by the depreciation industry
As a Quantity Surveyor or QS if you will, I have the pleasure of a little inside information when it comes to reading some of the articles or catch phrases written by other quantity surveyors. No sour grapes here, for the most part we all get along. I have some great relationships with a number…
Read MoreDepreciable asset or repairs and maintenance? – How to make the call
Owning an investment property will invariably result in having to spend some money on it. The good news is that the tax man (perhaps we need a gender-neutral term but technically the tax commissioner is a man) will let you claim that expenditure as a deduction. However, not all deductions are equal. Spending money on…
Read MoreHow common property assets can supercharge your upfront deductions
Most investors would be aware that if you own a unit within a complex, you’ll have an entitlement to claim over the common property assets based on your share of ownership. This percentage share is commonly referred to as a unit entitlement and can be found on your strata plan or plan of subdivision. You’ll…
Read MoreWhat is a tax depreciation schedule and how can it change your tax return?
Albert Einstein said if you can’t explain something simply, then you don’t understand it well enough. So, it’s time to test my understanding of tax depreciation schedules! A tax depreciation schedule is simply a report detailing the depreciation entitlements available to you within your investment property. The depreciation entitlements can be broken into two simple…
Read MoreCritical misinformation around property depreciation changes
The senate has passed the depreciation changes (as of writing it is awaiting royal assent), but unfortunately a number of large quantity surveying firms have been reporting incorrect or incomplete analysis of the changes. I’ve been modelling the impacts of the recent depreciation changes by analysing the reports in our system as well as looking…
Read MoreWhat you need to know – Investment Property Budget Changes
Investment property tax deductions hit the headlines when the 2017-18 Federal Budget was handed down on 9 May 2017. As the second biggest tax deduction after interest, depreciation deductions against investment properties save investors thousands of dollars and can make or break the profitability of a property investment What deductions can you claim against…
Read MoreWhy buying brand new is now the key to maximising your tax deductions
People often ask me questions like “I should buy a new investment property because it’s better for tax right?” The answer is yes and at the same time, no. Buying a brand-new property because of the available deductions is not a sophisticated strategy. Accountants tell me the same thing, people say they need an investment…
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