How to get this publicationWarning: This information may not apply to the current year. Check the content carefully to ensure it is applicable to your circumstances. You can download a PDF at Rental properties (NAT 1729, 524KB). To get a printed copy, do one of the following: Use our automated self-help publications ordering service at any time. You need to quote the full title 'Rental properties 2014–15'. Phone our Publications Distribution Service on 1300 720 092. Before you phone, check whether you need other publications; this will save you time and help us. Use the full title for each publication you order. You can speak to an operator between 8.00am and 6.00pm Monday to Friday (except public holidays).Thank you so much for getting this all sorted so quickly! I'm very impressed with the results of your report and your service overall.- David, Tuggerah NSW Thank you for completing the reports. We really appreciate the ease and timely manner in which it was all organised.

It has been a pleasure using your service.- John & Susan, Turramurra NSW Thanks again for all your help in getting these done. You have been fantastic to deal with and without a doubt I will be recommending your services any time the opportunity arises. Keep up the good work guys - it was top service and I knew I was in good hands.- Winter, Brunswick East VIChome classics blackout curtain panel wisteriaYou did a great job and I am really happy with it and the deductions. a1 curtains thornhillThanks also for identifying the non-deductible items on the spreadsheet. mira grommet window curtain panelsI’ll keep MCG Quantity Surveyors in mind for any Depreciation Schedules for my portfolio and other property purchases in the future.- Ben, Mt Warren Park QLDtraverse curtain rod troubleshooting

Thanks Mike, really appreciate your super speedy turn around after only sending through my final info on Monday.- Anneli, Byron Bay NSW Thanks for the schedule – looks like a job very well done. According to our accountant, it has led to a significant reduction in tax payable on my wife’s 13/14 return, so ... mission accomplished! royal velvet plaza grommet top drapery panelI will certainly be pleased to recommend you guys if any opportunity arises to do so.- Richard, Portsea VICmade to measure curtains lutterworthIt has been a pleasure using your service.- John & Susan, Mount Druitt NSW I am pleased to let you know that my accountant has checked and cleared the report. I am so thankful for your exceptional expertise and kindness. Once again thank you and wish you well.- Victor, Chipping Norton NSW

The resource you are looking for might have been removed, had its name changed, or is temporarily unavailable.Plant and Equipment, what can I deduct? The plant and equipment ( division 40) are those items which are not classified as capital works ( division 43). These items are able to be depreciated at a much faster rate but vary between items as shown by the ATO effective life guidelines, these are items that have a shorter “wear & tear” effective life than the main building structure and as such are granted an accelerated rate of depreciation. The capital works (division 43) is the actual main building structure part of the building and the amount of deduction is either 2.5% or 4 % depending on the age of the original construction or its use. The following list of Plant & Equipment is not the entire list of depreciable items claimable but are the most common items found in 90% of investment properties. The effective lives are also different depending on when the assets were acquired as either before July 2004 or after.

Specific commercial property has more specialised plant and equipment / effective lives and are not included. Effective life before 1 July 2004 Effective life after 1 July 2004 Air conditioning, wall unit Air conditioning, split system Vinyl / Linoleum flooring Hotwater system, Electric / Gas Hotwater system , Solar Heaters, Electric / Gas KITCHEN, BATHROOM & LAUNDRY ASSETS Garbage disposal unit / Insikerator Exhaust / heat lamps Access control, entry, security Fire hydrant booster pump Swimming pool filtration equip Swimming pool cleaning equip Swimming pool heater, electric /gas Watertanks, plastic, metal, concrete 30 / 25 /15HANDBAGS, make-up, guard dogs and garden gnomes are among the deductions that may help deliver Australians a handy tax refund in the next couple of months.The Australian Taxation Office says employers must have sent workers their payment summaries by now, and for a majority of people a refund awaits, but many taxpayers do not know just how many things they can claim.

Deakin University department of accounting senior lecturer Dr Adrian Raftery says most items costing less than $300 can be deducted in full in one year. Anything above that needs to be claimed over time, you need evidence of your spending, and you have to apportion it between work and private use.From the weird to the lucrative, here are 20 potential tax deductions that may surprise you.Slop on some sunscreen and claim a tax deduction for it. It’s good to see that the ATO promotes being sun-smart.If your make-up has sun protection and your job requires you to work outdoors, claim away. “It has to have a sun protection component to it, not just ordinary makeup,” Dr Raftery says. “The ATO came out a few months ago saying you could legitimately claim a handbag, providing you can demonstrate it is used for work purposes,” Dr Raftery says. That means using your handbag or briefcase to carry iPads, phones, calculators, stationery and other work-related items.If you’re studying subjects related to your current paid employment, it’s tax-deductible after the first $250.

You also can claim travel expenses for the cost of getting to and from your place of education.Many people take work home with them. If you don’t want to claim comprehensive home office expenses, you can still claim for electricity used when doing work at home. “You can claim 45c per hour on your home electricity use,” Dr Raftery says.There’s a pile of home office items that can be claimed including inks, stationery, printers, computers, chairs, desks, paper shredders and rubbish bins. “Scan your eyes across the room,” says Dr Raftery. “It will trigger something.”Work boots are an obvious deduction, while flight attendants are allowed to claim for a second pair of shoes that are the same as their uniform but more comfortable.Do you subscribe to work-related magazines and journals? You can claim them. Some occupations — such as media — can claim pay-TV subscriptions that help them keep up with events.Property investors looking to add some gnome-ish fun for their tenants can claim for the cost of garden gnomes.

BMT Tax Depreciation CEO Bradley Beer says gnomes are among hundreds of potential deductions for landlords, ranging from heated towel rails to clocks and fish tanks.Mr Beer says the ATO has a list on its website that can be tricky to find, while BMT has an app listing the deductible items. “Then you have to come up with a value and cost that the Tax Office accepts,” he said. A quantity surveyor can do this for you, and their report is tax-deductible.The most lucrative potential tax deduction for property investors is not the carpets and curtains, but writing down the bricks and mortar. For most people it’s a 2.5 per cent annual tax deduction on the cost of the building — but not the land, which does not depreciate.For an investment property costing $300,000 to build, that’s a welcome $7500 tax deduction every year.Claiming a tax deduction for dogs is allowed for people who use their dogs for work, mainly in security services and farming. H & R Block director of tax communications Mark Chapman says food and vet costs can be claimed for business use, and the dog is viewed as a capital asset “so you can write it off over the life of the animal”.

Family pets are not claimable, and it’s a grey area if your dog is helping to secure a home-based business. “If it’s a poodle, you might struggle,” Mr Chapman says.Mr Chapman says an H & R Block client who travels a lot for work decided to buy a caravan rather than continually fork out cash for motel rooms. In such as case, a caravan is a tax deduction, “but you would have to allocate it to business use and personal use” he says.13 ADULT TOYS AND COSTUMESSorry fellas, but this is only for people who work in the adult entertainment industry. In fact, the ATO has a special free guide about what can be claimed by adult industry workers. The list includes dance lessons, hair care, oils, lingerie and costumes, and it’s one of almost 40 free ATO guides available for workers in specific industries.General financial advice is not deductible, but specific investment advice may be. If you pay a tax agent to do your return, that cost is claimable — but they will know that.If you pay income protection insurance premiums, make sure to claim them.

It’s the only form of personal insurance that is tax-deductible. Other types of insurance — such as car and home insurance — only can be claimed when the insured asset is used for income-producing purposes, such as a work vehicle or rental property.If you use your car for work, make a note of it and you can claim either 66c per kilometre up to 5000km in one financial year, or the more detailed logbook method where every expense is recorded and apportioned. The ATO has an app that can help you track your work use via GPS.If you donated money to a political party in this month’s federal election, remember to claim it. Candidates themselves also can claim their costs of contesting an election.You are allowed to claim for the costs of attended investment seminars, such as those related to investment properties. “But you must already have the investments — you can’t be thinking about them,” Dr Raftery says.Concur director and tax agent Paul Mather says workers can claim the costs of their phone and internet expenses that are work-related.