{"id":3994,"date":"2021-08-05T14:32:14","date_gmt":"2021-08-05T05:02:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.oreon.com.au\/?p=3994"},"modified":"2021-08-05T14:32:14","modified_gmt":"2021-08-05T05:02:14","slug":"capital-works-deductions-for-rental-property","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.oreon.com.au\/taxation\/capital-works-deductions-for-rental-property\/","title":{"rendered":"Capital works deductions for rental property"},"content":{"rendered":"

Rental property investors can claim capital works deductions for construction costs for a rental property, however there are limits imposed in relation to the dates such works were completed. The deductions are only available on residential properties if these were built after 17 July 1985. Generally, up to 15 September 1987 the rate is 4% a year (over 25 years) and after then is 2.5% (but over 40 years).<\/p>\n

Residential property investors seeking capital works deductions need to remember that you can only make a claim for periods when the rental property was used for income producing purposes, not when used for private purposes.<\/p>\n

Subsequent purchasers of a property can claim for the balance of the period, because unlike a depreciating asset there is no balancing adjustment on disposal of the property, unless the building is destroyed. The balance of any claim is passed on, on the same basis, to any later owners.<\/p>\n

The seller of a property is required by legislation to provide the buyer with the cost of construction of the original building and any structural improvements, however this does not always occur and there is no enforcement mechanism in the legislation. If it is not possible to determine the actual construction costs, it is allowable to obtain an estimate from a quantity surveyor or other independent qualified person. It is also permissible to claim a deduction for the cost of that estimate.<\/p>\n

Capital works expenses incurred form part of the cost base of the property for capital gains tax purposes. If you claim a capital works deduction, this will need to be taken into account when working out a future capital gain or loss (more below).<\/p>\n

Construction expenditure that can be claimed<\/h3>\n

Some costs that may be included in construction expenditure are:<\/p>\n