CHOOSING WHETHER TO buy or to rent a Commercial property can often be a difficult decision. When you buy commercial property, you’re purchasing it with cash or loan proceeds. And when you have paid off the loan, you own the property outright. [Read more…]
IF WORKING FROM HOME is so appealing, why are businesses and governments choosing to hold onto their office space – and in many cases, lease even more?
According to the Property Council of Australia, Melbourne’s CBD towers were only 12% occupied in December – but 88% leased. And Sydney’s CBD towers were 23% occupied, but 91% leased. [Read more…]
RECENT RESEARCH SUGGESTS we are going to need 490,000 m² of new warehouse space per annum over the next couple of years – just to keep up with the current rapid consumer demand. This is the equivalent of about 80 football fields!
But do these big sheds make a good investment for those looking to invest in commercial warehousing? [Read more…]
DESPITE THE RECENT new Omicron variant, consumer demand is surging against the backdrop of labour shortages, supply chain blockages and recent price increases.
All of this is causing confusion and some concern. And pundits around the world are detailing strong Inflationary pressure – which usually means interest rates are likely to increase, sooner rather than later. [Read more…]
IT’S OVER 18 MONTHS now since the pandemic triggered a total disruption to our everyday office routines – causing millions of people to work from home.
As we move into the second year – many established companies are still undecided on the new workplace model going forward. [Read more…]
CLEANING AND MAINTENANCE is a high priority for any commercial property owners or businesses.
Not only does it help achieve durability for property and assets, but it also improves the presentation and profitability of a commercial facility.
These costs can pile up quickly and squeeze money from bank accounts. But much needed relief can come in the form of tax deductions related to these cleaning and maintenance activities just in time for Spring.
Cleaning and maintenance can often work differently for commercial and residential owners. A commercial tenant tends to look after most cleaning and maintenance requirements necessary for their business operations.
However, as a commercial owner, You may find yourself in a situation where the cleaning and maintenance tasks have well and truly stacked up.
This could be for several reasons, such as a tenant not meeting their own responsibilities. Or maybe, you have purchased a property needy some TLC.
Whatever the case, commercial owners can claim any cleaning and maintenance costs as instant tax deductions, in the same financial year they are made.
Commercial tenants (the business owner operating from the property) undertakes cleaning and maintenance activities on a regular basis and they can claim any products purchased for this at tax time.
Sometimes, more detailed cleaning and maintenance activities must also be undertaken.
These are usually done by a professional external to the business, for example a handyman, machinery service technician or industrial cleaner.
Any costs associated with these types of services are 100 per cent tax deductible for the business.
Both commercial owners and tenants do need to be aware of the fine line between maintenance and improvements.
Maintenance can often be more extensive and turn into a repair. The good news is a repair is also instantly tax deductible. However, depending on the nature of the repair it could be an improvement.
For example, a damaged laminate bench top being replaced with a stone bench top. While the new bench top was a result of damage, it would be classed as an improvement – since the bench top was improved beyond its original state.
In this scenario, the bench top would need to be claimed over time using depreciation deductions. These are tax deductions for the natural wear and tear of property and assets over time.
Depreciation is claimed at tax time and the amount depends on the asset type and value.
This is why it’s essential to enlist a speciality quantity surveyor, such as BMT Tax Depreciation – to prepare a tax depreciation schedule, and ensure any depreciation is claimed correctly and to its full potential.
Bottom Line: A tax depreciation schedule is a report that outlines the deductions available for all depreciable assets held by the owner. If an improvement is made after the schedule has already been prepared, BMT can easily update the schedule to make the process of claiming ongoing depreciation easy.
BEFORE THE PANDEMIC, there was a shortage of office space looming within the Sydney and Melbourne CBDs.
In fact, both were heading towards unhealthy vacancy levels of around 2% to 3%.
However, with extended lockdowns and some new supply coming onto the market … all that has clearly changed. [Read more…]
JUST BECAUSE 30 JUNE has been and gone, commercial investors and businesses don’t need to wait another financial year to obtain a tax depreciation schedule. Even if a schedule is ordered after the end of a financial year (FY), depreciation can still be back-claimed. [Read more…]
AS YOU WILL APPRECIATE, Negotiating is a learned skill – it’s not something you’re simply born with. However, it doesn’t matter how good you become, you always need to enter EVERY negotiation – using a Checklist, which has stood the test of time.
To help you … here’s the Checklist I personally use for each encounter. [Read more…]
IT MAY SURPRISE YOU to learn that new businesses grew at a record rate during the last financial year. And that’s because COVID-19 served up a whole host of new opportunities among the economic turmoil.
Apparently, there were 365,500 new start-ups along with 277,700 established businesses closing shop – delivering a net gain of 87,800 new businesses.
As encouraging as that may sound, these newcomers will face challenges going forward – given they began in a climate of low interest rates and government support.
Nonetheless, they will clearly add to the demand for suburban office space – as workers seek to avoid the grind of a long daily commute.
Add to that the large CBD firms currently decanting whole departments out to the suburbs – to also be closer to where their employees live.
Bottom Line: Every change (however disruptive) brings with it seeds of opportunity. Sometimes these are hard to recognise – but highly profitable, for those who do.
LEAVING ASIDE the effect of Covid has had on the general economy, the consequent drop in population growth and immigration will have a lasting impact upon … [Read more…]
