Imagine being taxed on the value of your assets even if you haven’t sold them. Sounds like fiction? Well, it’s not. It could soon be policy. Australia’s federal government has proposed a controversial new tax—one that could see unrealised capital gains on superannuation balances above $3 million taxed at 30%. Now, at first glance, this…
Smart property investors use all the legal tax rules to minimize their cash flow leakage and maximise their deductions. The government encourages property investors to provide accommodation for those who need it by offering them a range of tax benefits. While most investors know about the typical tax deductions, such as interest on loans, repairs and management fees,…
Investing in property with your super has been extremely popular over the past few years, hasn’t it? And the reasons why are far more interesting than it just being a bit trendy! The main benefit is that super is an alternative avenue for property investing that has very little impact on personal finances or your future…
What is adverse possession or possessory possession? Adverse possession is when a person gains title to a property if they have remained in that same property for a certain amount of time. A person or persons who have occupied the Land for the prescribed amount of time, in certain circumstances, can prevent the true owner…
Want to avoid the taxman rejecting your claim? Even worse, do you want to prevent the taxman from digging deeper and auditing your affairs? The Australian Taxation Office has a lot of information on its website to help property investors. Whether you use a tax agent or choose to lodge your tax return yourself, the…
Housing affordability is the current topic of conversation in the media and at dinner tables across Australia. And for families with Gen Y children, in particular, it’s probably a discussion based around how they’ll struggle to ever buy their own home. There’s no denying it has become a lot harder to get a start on…
Asset protection seems to be a recurring topic with clients over the past few months. So let’s have a look at the top issue of asset protection that every property investor should consider: 1. Should I have a will? The answer is yes if you want to control who gets what and not leave it to…
Retirement is meant to be the time to relax, enjoy life, and reap the rewards of decades of hard work. Yet, for many Australians, the dream of a carefree retirement is increasingly overshadowed by the burden of a lingering mortgage. Owning your home outright by retirement was once a hallmark of financial security. But now,…
The use of Self-Managed Superannuation Funds (SMSF) has skyrocketed over the past decade. Among the many reasons for this increase is the ability to purchase residential property in your SMSF with borrowings – debt via what’s called a Limited Recourse Borrowing Arrangement, or LRBA. In essence, the LRBA structure allows an SMSF to borrow and…
Capital gains tax (CGT) is a tax that is levied on the sale of certain assets, including real estate, shares, and other investments purchased with the intention to keep as opposed to buying with the intention to sell for a profit. In Australia, CGT is generally paid on the profit made from the sale of…