The ATO estimates that incorrect reporting of rental property income and expenses is costing around $1 billion each year in forgone tax
revenue. A big part of the problem is how taxpayers are claiming interest on their investment property loans.
We’ve seen an uptick in ATO activity focussing on refinanced or redrawn loans. This activity is a result of a major
data matching program of residential property loan data from financial institutions from 2021-22 to 2025-26. This data is being matched
to what taxpayers have claimed on their tax returns. Those with anomalies can expect contact from the ATO to explain the discrepancy.
If you have an investment property loan and redraw on the loan for a different purpose to the original borrowing, the loan account becomes a
mixed purpose account. Interest accruing on mixed purpose accounts need to be apportioned between each of the different purposes the money
was used for.
On the other hand, if the redrawn funds are used to produce investment income, then the interest on this portion of the loan should be
deductible.
For example, if you have redrawn on the loan to pay for a private holiday, or pay down personal debt, then the interest relating to this
portion of the loan balance is not deductible. Not only will the interest expenses need to be apportioned into deductible and non-deductible
parts, but repayments will normally need to be apportioned too.
Withdrawals from an offset account are treated as savings rather than a new borrowing. If you have a loan account and an interest offset
account is attached to this account that reduces the interest payable on the loan, withdrawing funds from the offset account will typically
increase the amount of interest accruing on the loan, but won’t change the deductible percentage of the interest expenses.
That is, when you withdraw funds from the offset account this is really a withdrawal of savings and won’t impact on the extent to which
interest accruing on the loan account is deductible.
If you have a home loan that was used to acquire your private home and you have funds sitting in an offset account, withdrawing those funds
to pay the deposit on a rental property won’t enable you to claim any of the interest accruing on the home loan.
However, if you redraw funds from the home loan to acquire a rental property then interest accruing on this portion of the loan should
be deductible. The tax treatment always depends on how the arrangement is structured.
Think you might have a problem? Contact us and we can investigate the issue before the ATO contact you.
News headlines recently stated that casual workers have won the right to paid leave following a decision in the Federal Court. As usual, the devil is in the detail.
Important need-to-know changes for Australian business owners as at 1st July 2020.
The ATO is looking carefully at businesses that appear to have made adjustments to their circumstances to meet the JobKeeper eligibility requirements where, if those adjustments had not been made, the entity would have been ineligible or had lower JobKeeper payments.
This has probably been the most difficult year ever for business owners due to the impact of COVID-19. As a business owner, there are many obligations that you need to consider and action just before and after 30 June.
Success in generating long-term wealth has a lot to do with awareness of the tricks money can play on your mind. How many of these do you recognise?
For many people, super is one of the best ways to grow your wealth, as it provides significant tax concessions to help you save for retirement.
If you’re looking to grow and protect your retirement wealth, there are some important lessons you can learn from the investment strategy rules of super funds.
There are many types of investment vehicles to choose from, with managed funds one of the most popular choices in Australia. Here we help you work out which combination is right for you.
Insuring your car, home or other possessions makes sense. So why do so few of us insure ourselves? If illness or injury stopped you from working for an extended period, could you keep paying your bills?
Whenever there is a change to your financial situation, a review of your financial plan is necessary – even more so when a complicated matter like splitting superannuation is involved.
As COVID-19 struck, Australian businesses had to rapidly evolve and implement new ways of working with very little warning or preparation. Whilst many companies have successfully adjusted to their 'new normal', it's also time to consider what the future holds for employers.
Our payroll refresher webinar will cover an overview of Xero’s payroll function. We’ll touch on new features, tips and tricks, auto superannuation, and finish with a demonstration of finalising and submitting Single Touch Payroll (STP) reporting at year-end.
April was an interesting month for financial markets. Coronavirus-related restrictions remained in place globally and the economic growth outlook remained dire.
An effective business planning process gets to the heart and soul of your business.
This session will require you to take time out from day to day activities in the business to focus on the business. Together we’ll review
your past performance and clarify your future direction.
Moratorium on evictions and rent relief
Estate planning involves much more than having an up-to-date Will. It is important to ensure that your assets are distributed in the most effective manner and without adverse tax consequences for your beneficiaries.
Self-managed superannuation funds (SMSFs) are a popular option for investors seeking greater control over their retirement savings.
Brandon has recorded a video on how to process JobKeeper in Xero. Just minutes after he finished, Xero updated further to include a basic last month turnover calculator too!
Core Values are the essence of a company’s identity; they support the vision and shape the culture of an organisation. Core Values cannot be plagiarised and made to fit an organisation. They need to be developed from within to be authentic to your company and your team.
The JobKeeper subsidy represents the largest single stimulus initiative ever offered to Australian business. A payment of $1,500 per fortnight for each eligible employee for a period of up to 6 months is a massive underwrite of the Australian economy and already hundreds of thousands of businesses have registered their interest to participate in the scheme. Under this scheme many businesses will be receiving tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars over the six-month period. You cannot afford to get this wrong.
UPDATED 13th April - Businesses significantly impacted by the coronavirus outbreak will be able to access a subsidy from the Government to continue paying their employees. THIS INCLUDES SELF-EMPLOYED!!
BAS time seems to come around quicker and quicker! Here are some tips to try and make it a little easier! We have also included a summary of common errors we see, take a look to ensure you don’t do these.
How do you manage cashflow during the best of times? What about during the worst of times?
With the economy tipping GFC point due to the coronavirus outbreak, the harsh impact is felt directly by small business. So how do you ride
the waves during economic changes?
It is essential that every business has a plan for dealing with the fallout from this pandemic.
A plan will give you peace of mind and clarity for decision-making for the future of your business, and ensure you access Government support
entitlements and maximise opportunities to preserve your cashflow and profitability.
Funding of $10,000 per business is available and will be allocated through a grant process.
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Does your business rent a commercial property from your SMSF? You can now give your business reduced rent because of COVID-19 to ease the
pressure on your business.
The Federal Government has secured passage of the $189bn economic stimulus package proposed to support businesses and keep Australians in
jobs, but how does that apply to you?
In the past week or so, we’ve seen share markets fall on the back of growing concerns about the spread of the coronavirus. At times of heightened market volatility, it’s easy to fear how your superannuation and other investments might be affected, but it’s important to understand the nature of market movements before making any sudden decisions.
We know that even the smallest changes can have a big impact on your finances.
With the impact on businesses due natural disasters such as COVID-19 and the Australian bushfires, we see the knock-on effect on sales,
market presence, and businesses unsure on where they should be spending their limited resources.
It's a good time to share some industry knowledge about what marketing you should consider investing in when times are tough.
As part of a $1.7 billion economic survival package, the Victorian Government has announced $500 million to establish a Business Support Fund to assist small to medium businesses most impacted by the COVID-19 outbreak.
The Victorian Government has announced a range of tax measures to support businesses through Victoria's State of Emergency as part of a
broader economic survival package to support business and jobs in response to COVID-19.
We will regularly update this page with new questions and answers, so check back to stay up to date.
Not sure what support your bank is offering in the chaos? Check out this summary of the majors and their current plans.
| The Fair Work Commission (FWC) has handed down its 2026 Annual Wage Review, and the numbers are in. From 1 July 2026, the national minimum wage will rise by 5.97%, and modern award minimum rates will increase by 4.75%. |
Now's the time to review what strategies you can use to minimise your tax before 30 June.
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