There is a common misconception in the property market that you cannot claim depreciation on old properties. This is wrong, and I can prove it!
The origin of this myth centres on the fact that you cannot claim building depreciation on residential properties where the construction commencement date is before 1987.
This is a true statement and put simply means that you can’t claim depreciation on the structure of the building – the brickwork and concrete – if it was built before 1987.
But here’s the rest of the story. While it is true that the government has disallowed claiming depreciation on previously used assets, all properties built after 1987 will still qualify for the building allowance – making it worthwhile to order a depreciation schedule.
Further, it is pretty rare these days that when we inspect a property built before 1987, there hasn’t been some form of kitchen or bathroom renovation carried out – and the renovation resets the start for those works and thus can be claimed by the incoming property investor.
The best way to test how much you can claim on an old property is to use the Washington Brown depreciation calculator. Here you can crunch the numbers on your property and see how much you can claim. All you need to do is answer some simple questions about the property in question.
This calculator has now been updated to reflect the changes announced in the 2017 Budget.
This is the only calculator in Australia that enables you to enter a purchase price and get a depreciation estimate as a result. It took me four years to build, because it relies on real life data and is very complicated to say the least.
Depreciation Schedules - The New Reality | Washington Brown
..............................................
Tyron Hyde is the CEO of Washington Brown and is considered one of Australia’s leading experts in property tax depreciation. He is also a registered tax agent. Washington Brown manages construction costs worth over $2 billion and completes 10,000 schedules annually. For a depreciation schedule quote CLICK HERE and follow the 3 simple steps or estimate your depreciation cost.
The Washington Brown Free Depreciation Calculator will give you an estimate of the depreciation deductions you could claim on your investment property
Read more Expert Advice articles by Tyron
Disclaimer: while due care is taken, the viewpoints expressed by contributors do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Your Investment Property.
