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Two types of depreciation allowances are available to property investors as a tax deduction. Learn the differences and how to claim them correctly under the legislation.
Property depreciation is a non-cash tax deduction available to the owners of income producing properties.
As a building gets older, items wear out – they depreciate. The Australian Taxation Office allows property owners to claim this depreciation as a tax deduction.
The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) clearly defines two types of depreciation allowances available for property investors:
The capital works allowance refers to what an investor can claim for the wear and tear that occurs to the structure of the property. This includes any structural improvements that may have been made during a renovation.
Plant and equipment depreciation on the other hand, refers to the deductions an investor can claim for the wear and tear that occurs to the easily removable fixtures and fittings found within the property.
Investors often wonder about the depreciation differences of older properties compared to new properties. The simple answer is that the owners of newer properties will receive higher depreciation deductions. However, investment properties both new and old can attract depreciation deductions for their owners.
Capital works deductions are calculated at a rate of 2.5 per cent of the structural costs of a building and can be claimed per year for forty years. Construction costs generally increase over time, making building write-off deductions on new buildings higher.
Owners of older properties can claim the residual value of the building up to forty years from construction. For example, if an investment property is five years old, the owner will have thirty five years left of capital works deductions to claim.
Capital works deductions are governed by the date that construction began. Any property that was constructed after the 15th of September 1987 attracts capital works deductions. If your property was constructed prior to that date, you should still contact BMT as you can claim for any renovations that the property has undergone, including those that were carried out by previous owners.
Investment properties both new and old can attract depreciation deductions for their owners.
Under legislation passed on Wednesday 15th November 2017, owners of second-hand residential properties (where contracts exchanged after 7:30pm on the 9th of May 2017) are no longer eligible to claim depreciation on existing plant and equipment assets, such as air conditioning units, solar panels or carpet. However, owners of these properties can still claim depreciation on the plant and equipment assets they purchase for their property.
There has been no change to capital works deductions, which generally account for anywhere between 85 and 90 per cent of a claim. The good news is that this means Australian property investors can still claim thousands of dollars in deductions.
Additionally, if you purchased a property before 7:30pm on the 9th of May 2017, you can continue to claim as before.
It’s more important than ever to work with a specialist Quantity Surveyor to ensure that all deductions are identified and claimed correctly under the new legislation. Each and every BMT Tax Depreciation Schedule will be tailored to suit an individual’s property investment scenario, ensuring that all deductions are maximised.
Article provided by BMT Tax Depreciation. Bradley Beer (B. Con. Mgt, AAIQS, MRICS, AVAA) is the Chief Executive Officer of BMT Tax Depreciation.
Photo Credit: "Williamstown Beach House in #Australia" by Derek Swalwell and designmilk is copyright ©2016 and made available under this license.
Two types of depreciation allowances available for property investors:
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