Posts by Mike
It’s never too late to claim depreciation. Well, except when it is
The other day I saw someone in an interview say “It’s never too late to claim depreciation.” Now in fairness, perhaps in the following sentence, they added some caveats but even though I tuned out and got back to work, I don’t think that’s a prudent way to start a discussion about deductions, whether you’re…
Read MoreCoronavirus creates the most competitive building environment since the GFC
A study by MCG Quantity Surveyors has revealed property owners are now securing the most competitive building and renovation environment in almost a decade. MCG Quantity Surveyors were recently featured in the Australian Financial Review on the back of their recent analysis of construction contracts prompted a survey of builders which revealed most are dramatically…
Read MoreFinal NSW Government Report into Building Standards and Quality
On the 30th April 2020 the release of the final report of the Public Accountability Committee, titled ‘Regulation of building standards, building quality, and building disputes’ was tabled with the Clerk of the Parliaments of NSW. The report and its recommendations are now with the government for consideration. The government is required to respond to…
Read MoreReview of the Ripehouse Advisory COVID-19 vs Australian Property Report
I recently took part in the Ripehouse COVID-19 survey along with 146 other industry experts and academics and have now been able to view the report in full. I commend the team for putting the report together, especially during such a fluid and evolving set of circumstances. Real estate is such a pivotal part of…
Read MorePercentage of property investors with an ‘in-depth audit’ from the ATO
What percentage of property investors had an ‘in-depth audit’ from the ATO in 2019? Last year the ATO announced that they doubled the number of in-depth audits to 4,500, due to an error rate of just under 90% on a sample of investor tax returns. Speaking at the Tax Institute’s National Convention in Hobart, ATO…
Read MoreDepreciation and the Instant Asset Write-off – Economic Stimulus Package 2020
Here’s what you need to know about the changes to depreciation allowances and the instant asset write-off changes as part of the Governments $17.6 billion coronavirus economic stimulus plan. What has changed? The instant asset write-off – The turnover cap and the asset value threshold have increased The Government has committed $700 million to increase…
Read MoreScrapping schedules – They were great, but here’s why they’re a thing of the past
You’ll have to excuse us Quantity Surveyors as we get very excited about certain dates. The May 2017 budget (9th of May) heralded the largest change to depreciation rules since 2006, it certainly ruined what would have been a perfectly good glass of Shiraz as I sat watching Scott Morrison at home. For anyone lucky…
Read MoreAre depreciation legislation changes affecting property investor behaviour?
Yes, yes they are. Or at least, it seems that way. Now I’m tempted to just leave it there for my own amusement, but anyone that knows me will know I won’t be able to help myself in sharing the data I’ve crunched. Let me give you some background; On the 9th of May 2017…
Read MoreCase Studies – Estimating costs of our very own Australian Solar Farms
In May 2019, Giles Parkinson titled an article “It’s not easy to build a solar farm in Australia any more”. This was published on the Renew Economy website on the 16th of May 2019. Mr. Parkinson goes on to state that albeit in the past, the powers to be believed it was easier to build…
Read MoreBuilding approvals point to a potential future housing shortage
It doesn’t seem that long ago we were talking about an oversupply of apartments across Sydney, South Melbourne, and Brisbane. However, a lot has changed in the past few years. The ABS October figures on building approvals show a seasonally adjusted estimate for total dwelling units falling by 8.1% in October. The graph below from…
Read More