Negative gearing is when you claim more in deductions than you earn for an income producing asset that you have purchased using debt. It is not limited to property, you can for example negatively gear shares, but property is the dominant negatively geared asset claimed by Australians.

The latest Taxation Statistics show that we claimed $22.5 bn in rental interest deductions in 2012-13 against gross rental income of $36.6 bn. While these statistics are not as bad as previous years because of the low cost of borrowing ($1.6 bn less than 2011-12), it’s more than the total Defence budget in 2013-14 at $22.1 bn.

The use of these property deductions does not vary widely across income ranges – that is, it’s not just those on the highest income bracket using negative gearing. The highest proportional losses were experienced by those with incomes (net of the rental loss) between $55,001 and $80,000, where deductions exceeded rental income by more than 28%. Negative gearing makes owning an investment property accessible to those who potentially would not invest for the long term gain in property value alone.

 

    Some things to keep in mind.
      Repairs or maintenance?

Deductions claimed for repairs and maintenance is an area that the Tax Office is looking very closely at so it’s important to understand the rules. An area of major confusion is the difference between repairs and maintenance, and capital works. While repairs and maintenance can be claimed immediately, the deduction for capital works is generally spread over a number of years.

Repairs must relate directly to the wear and tear resulting from the property being rented out

. This generally involves a replacement or renewal of a worn out or broken part – for example, replacing damaged palings of a fence or fixing a broken toilet. The following expenses will not qualify as deductible repairs, but are capital:

• Replacement of an entire structure (for example, a complete fence, a new hot water system, oven, etc.)
• Improvements and extensions

Also remember that any repairs and maintenance undertaken to fix problems that existed at the time the property was purchased are not deductible.

 

    Travel expenses to see your property

If you fly to inspect your rental property, stay overnight, and return home the following day, all of the airfares and accommodation expenses would generally be allowed as a deduction. Where travel is combined with a holiday, your travel expenses need to be apportioned. If the main purpose of the trip is to have a holiday and the inspection is incidental, a deduction for travel is not allowed. In these circumstances you can only claim a deduction for the direct costs involved in inspecting the property such as the cost of taking a taxi to see the property and a proportion of your accommodation expenses.

If you drive a car to and from your rental property to collect rent or for inspections, you can claim your car expenses. Just keep in mind that you need to be able to prove that you needed to visit the property.

 

    Redrawing on your loan

The interest component of your investment property loan is generally deductible. Take care if you have made redraws on your investment loan for personal purposes. A portion of the loan may be non-deductible.