$20,000 Instant Asset Write Off Extended to June 2019

IN A MOVE that will help boost cash flow for small business owners, the Senate recently passed legislation to extend the $20,000 instant asset write-off to June 2019.  [Read more…]

Servicing Your Commercial Property Investment Deals

THE FINANCIAL INDUSTRY in general (and the major banks in particular) have been under the microscope recently as a result of the Royal Commission. And that has provided a steady stream of negative headlines for the banks over the past 12 months.

As a result, the banks have instituted a number of changes including: [Read more…]

Uncover Your Tax Benefits with Commercial Property Depreciation

DOES THE IDEA OF BUYING commercial property instead of renting your current business premises appeal to you? Or are you undecided whether to purchase a commercial investment over a residential property for your portfolio?  [Read more…]

PEXA – the Future of eConveyancing

AS OF 1 OCTOBER 2018, Victoria has moved one step closer to a completely digital conveyancing process as all property settlements (with some exceptions) are required to be completed via PEXA (Property Exchange Australia). [Read more…]

Why Choose a Depreciation Expert?

IT IS WELL KNOWN that you can claim wear and tear on a business vehicle. But do you know exactly how much wear and tear you can also claim, on your investment property?

You see, many property investors are unaware how significant the tax depreciation deductions their investment properties hold – meaning they could be missing out on thousands of dollars. [Read more…]

Are You Aware of the Absentee Owner Surcharge?

AS OF 1 JANUARY 2017, Victorian land owned by an “absentee owner” is subject to an additional 1.5% Absentee Owner Surcharge.  The purpose of the surcharge is to require foreign buyers, who do not pay other taxes, to contribute to government services and infrastructure in Victoria.

Although this surcharge also applies to commercial property, it was originally introduced as an attempt to manage foreign purchasing of residential real estate in Victoria – to assist with housing affordability. [Read more…]

Where in the Cycle are the CBD Office Markets?

EVERY INVESTOR would like to be in a position to pick the top and bottom of each Cycle, when it comes to commercial property.

And if you had followed things closely during last century, you would know forecasting this used to be relatively straightforward  with all the various Office markets following a fairly predictable sequence, as shown below. [Read more…]

6 Ways to Enjoy Your Extra Cash from Depreciation

AS AN A INVESTOR, once you start claiming depreciation, you’ll notice a big improvement in your cash flow.

That’s because depreciation effectively lowers taxable income – and that means more money back in your pocket come tax time.

For most investors, the extra cash goes into savings. Or is put towards a holiday, or a new car. Or simply used for everyday living expenses.

However, there are far smarter ways to use the extra cash you gain from depreciation. And here are just a few. [Read more…]

Capital City Office Markets Around Australia

AS I EXPLAIN to my Mentor group, there is a certain rule of thumb for Office market vacancies around Australia.

And it’s really quite simple: For an office market to be “in balance” you really need to have a vacancy rate of between 6% to 8%.

It’s a bit like the unemployment rate. You see … a 5% unemployment rate – effectively means FULL employment – because anything lower than this … is starting to put pressure on wages. [Read more…]

Freehold Vs Leasehold – What Does This Mean for Depreciation?

LET’S USE HOTELIERS as an example. When they request a tax depreciation schedule for their property, there are usually three main scenarios:

  1. Freehold, which is where the client owns the building only, not the business that operates from it.
  2. Leasehold, where the client owns the business only, not the actual property.
  3. The client owns both the business and the building.

[Read more…]

4 Things to Consider When Fixing Your Interest Rate

WHEN INVESTING IN Commercial property, one of the major attractions for investors is the cashflow available. And locking in a guaranteed cashflow, via fixing your loan can be an attractive strategy.

However, there are a number of things that should be considered, before deciding to fix your interest rate. Here are some of the most important questions to ask yourself when deciding. [Read more…]