Depreciation is not the foremost thing on the mind of most investors at the initial stage of acquiring a property.  

Usually, the consideration for this benefit starts to set in only after the purchase, which may be less advantageous than when it is thought of before decisions are made to buy a property. 

Knowing how much you would probably gain in receiving a tax depreciation schedule for a prospective property could give you significant savings and ROI.  

This knowledge, the “missing piece” of the property investment puzzle, could influence your decision on whether a property could make or break your investment. 

But how can we come up with an estimate? Do we need to stay up all night crunching up numbers so tediously? Do we need to pay someone just to come up with these figures? 

The good news is no. Because of Washington Brown’s innovative and advanced solutions, property investors like you can now get an instant and free estimate of the tax depreciation deductions that a potential property would give you.  

And this is possible with our Property Depreciation Calculator, a first in our country to determine a reliable and accurate estimation based on real properties from our extensive database. Two years in progress have continuously proven the originality and advancement of this tool that a patent application is underway for the concept! 

We know you have a few questions regarding this, so here are our answers. Is this 100% accurate? 

No two properties are the same which logically means that no result can be 100% accurate which is understandable. Despite that, this rental property depreciation calculator provides the best information you can get out there. 

It is computed based on up to date information that we have access to regarding properties we have inspected. Aside from that, we have worked out a “barometer” that measures a result’s degree of accuracy. All results are also rounded off to the nearest thousand. 

Is there no limit to the type of property that this calculator can assess? 

While our property tax depreciation calculator caters to a wide range of property types, it excludes properties that have been renovated or are fully furnished. We believe the results would probably skew and be complicated, with many additional items to consider for these properties.  

Can I feature this calculator as a tool on my website? 

We would be glad to receive a written request for this through our email info@washingtonbrown.com.au so that we can take a look at your site and consider its suitability. 

Can I base my tax return information on this estimate? 

Unfortunately, the Australian Taxation Office and the Australian Institute of Quantity Surveyors require that properties be evaluated by a quantity surveyor individually for actual data to be indicated in the tax return. This is to ensure that a thorough assessment of capital works and a detailed breakdown of your property’s plant and equipment are obtained. 

What is represented by the “years” column? 

Every year represents an entire financial year. The estimate you will get pertains to the allowances you are eligible for if you were to settle on that property at the time of the calculation. 

For example, the Year 1 points to the amount you can claim over the coming 365 days if the property you purchased is similar to the data you have keyed in. Use the Rental Property Depreciation Calculator Australia 

What is meant by the Diminishing Value and Prime Cost Methods? 

These are both methods of depreciating plant and equipment items as per the guidelines of the Australian Taxation Office. The Diminishing Value method is where the allowances accelerate in the first few years, while the Prime Cost method, on the other hand, spreads out the allowances evenly over a period of time.  

How can I tell the age of a property? 

By knowing the year when the property was built, you can get the years of existence of a particular property. Without that information, you can find assistance from your relevant local council. Property Depreciation Schedule Calculator.

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Tyron Hyde is the CEO of Washington Brown and is considered one of Australia’s leading experts in property tax depreciation. He is also a registered tax agent.  Washington Brown manages construction costs worth over $2 billion and completes 10,000 schedules annually. For a depreciation schedule quote CLICK HERE and follow the 3 simple steps or estimate your depreciation cost. 

The Washington Brown Free Depreciation Calculator will give you an estimate of the depreciation deductions you could claim on your investment property.

Read more Expert Advice articles by Tyron

Disclaimer: while due care is taken, the viewpoints expressed by contributors do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Your Investment Property.