All articles

A typical Brisbane rental property generates $9,000 to $14,000 of legitimate annual deductions that do not appear on most accountants' default schedules. The ones that get missed are not exotic — they are borrowing costs spread under section 25-25, the Division 40 plant and equipment items the QS report did not pick up, and the depreciation on improvements made between purchase years.

The investors who get the full claim are not running tax avoidance schemes. They are running tidy records and checking the schedule against a real list. This post is that list, with the ATO section reference next to each item, and the worked numbers on a real $750,000 Bulimba property.

What "Deductible" Actually Means#

A rental property expense is deductible to the extent it has a sufficient connection to producing assessable income, under section 8-1 of ITAA 1997. The two limbs of the test are simple — incurred in gaining or producing assessable income, or necessarily incurred in carrying on a business for that purpose. Capital outgoings are excluded from section 8-1 but most are picked up under specific provisions (depreciation, capital works, borrowing costs).

That distinction matters because the ATO's default position on a contested expense is to deny the deduction unless the connection is documented. Receipts are not optional.

The Complete 28-Item Deduction Checklist#

Income-related expenses (claim 100% in year incurred)#

Repairs and maintenance (section 25-10, 100% if genuinely a repair)#

Capital works (Division 43, 2.5% per year over 40 years)#

Plant and equipment (Division 40, declining balance)#

Borrowing costs (section 25-25, spread over 5 years or loan term)#

The 2017 Travel Ban — Most Investors Still Get This Wrong#

Section 26-31 of ITAA 1997, introduced in the 2017 budget, denies travel deductions for residential investment properties for individual investors and most trusts. You cannot claim flights, accommodation, fuel, or vehicle running costs to inspect, manage, or maintain a residential rental.

The exception is commercial property (offices, retail, industrial), and properties held by certain entity types — public unit trusts, super funds, complying APRA funds, and large widely-held entities.

Investors who still claim residential travel get adjusted on review. The denial includes flights to inspect, mileage to meet trades, and overnight accommodation while supervising work.

A worked example: an investor flies from Sydney to Brisbane four times per year to inspect a rental property. Each trip costs $500 in flights, $300 accommodation, $100 in transport. Total annual travel cost: $3,600.

Under the 2017 rule, none of this is deductible. The investor must absorb the $3,600 from after-tax income. At a 32% marginal rate, the lost deduction is worth $1,152/year.

The Plant and Equipment Rule That Halves Most Schedules#

Also from 2017: section 40-27 prevents individual investors from claiming Division 40 depreciation on second-hand plant and equipment in a property they did not directly install. The rule applies to existing properties bought after 9 May 2017.

In practice this means that if you buy a 2010-built Brisbane house in 2024, you cannot claim depreciation on the existing oven, hot water service, carpet, blinds, and air conditioner that were already there. You can only claim Division 40 on items you install yourself after settlement.

This is why depreciation schedules on resale properties often look thin — most of the plant and equipment is locked out. Division 43 (the building itself) still applies, and that is usually the larger half of the schedule anyway.

New builds and substantial renovations escape this rule because the investor is the first user of the new plant. Hence the depreciation-driven push toward off-the-plan and brand-new property — though that comes with its own trade-offs covered in our off the plan vs established properties guide.

Worked Example: Bulimba House, Year One Deductions#

A $750,000 Bulimba (4171) house bought 1 July 2025, rented at $620 per week, financed with a $600,000 IO loan at 6.20%.

Rent for the year: $32,240 less vacancy $1,860 = $30,380.

Net rental loss: $30,380 - $57,743 = -$27,363

At a 32% blended marginal rate (income $145,000), the refund is roughly $9,400.

If the investor had skipped the QS report and the careful borrowing-cost claim, the deductions would have been roughly $48,000 — a $9,743 gap, worth about $3,118 in tax. That gap is the difference between an investor who runs the checklist and one who hands their accountant a stack of receipts and hopes.

Where This Goes Wrong#

Failure mode 1: Claiming repairs that are actually improvements#

Replacing a 25-year-old kitchen with a new one is a capital improvement (Division 43 over 40 years), not a repair. Investors who claim it as a repair get the full deduction reversed and pay shortfall interest on top.

A worked example: an investor claims a $32,000 kitchen renovation as a "repair" in year one. The ATO disallows the deduction, recategorises it as Division 43, and applies it at 2.5% per year ($800/year for 40 years). The year-one deduction drops from $32,000 to $800.

Tax impact at 32%: $32,000 × 32% = $10,240 of tax originally claimed. After ATO adjustment: $800 × 32% = $256.

The investor owes back $9,984 of tax, plus shortfall interest at the GIC rate (currently around 11%), plus potentially a 25% administrative penalty. Total cost: roughly $13,500-$15,000 on a single misclassification.

Failure mode 2: Not apportioning loan interest after refinance#

If you refinance and pull cash for personal use, the interest on the cash-out portion is not deductible. The split has to be tracked from the date of refinance.

The cleanest way: separate loan accounts. Investment portion in one loan, cash-out portion in another. Without this segregation, the ATO can deny the entire interest deduction on the basis the investor cannot establish what proportion was for income-producing purposes.

Failure mode 3: Forgetting borrowing costs spread#

Investors deduct the full LMI premium in year one. The ATO denies four-fifths of it. The borrowing costs spread under s 25-25 is not optional.

Items that must be spread:

• LMI premium
• Loan establishment fee
• Valuation fees paid by the bank but charged to you
• Mortgage registration and stamping costs

A $14,000 LMI premium claimed all in year one returns $4,480 of tax saving. Same premium spread correctly returns $896 per year for 5 years — same total tax saving, but timed differently.

Failure mode 4: Claiming Division 40 on second-hand items#

The 2017 rule still trips up new entrants. Existing dishwashers, blinds, and air conditioners in a property you bought are not deductible.

A QS schedule on a 2024 purchase of a 2008-built property might show $4,500 of "deemed" plant and equipment. Section 40-27 makes most of this non-deductible to a residential investor. The schedule may include items that are technically there but legally cannot be claimed.

Failure mode 5: Vacant land between tenancies#

If a property sits vacant longer than reasonable while you renovate or look for tenants, the ATO can deny deductions for the period it is genuinely held out of use. Document the active marketing for tenants if there is a gap.

The test is "available for income production" — listed for rent, marketed actively, ready for occupation. A property gutted for renovation is generally not available; a property advertised at market rent with no acceptable tenants is.

How To Actually Capture The Full Claim#

Run a Loan Repayment Calculator at the start of every financial year to confirm your interest claim — it is the single largest deduction and the most often misstated, especially after rate changes mid-year. Run the Borrowing Power Calculator before refinancing to confirm the apportionment is clean.

Get a QS-prepared depreciation schedule on every property in the first year of ownership. The $660-$800 cost is deductible and the schedule pays for itself on the first year's depreciation alone.

For deeper coverage on getting depreciation right, see our tax depreciation on investment properties guide. For how these deductions interact with negative gearing strategy, see our negative gearing 2026 guide.

Frequently Asked Questions#

Can I claim travel to my interstate rental property?#

No, not for residential rentals. Section 26-31 of ITAA 1997 denies travel deductions for residential investment properties for individual investors. The denial applies to flights, accommodation, fuel, and motor vehicle expenses regardless of distance. Commercial property travel is still deductible.

Are renovations deductible in the year I do them?#

Generally no. Renovations that are capital improvements are claimed under Division 43 at 2.5% per year over 40 years. Only genuine repairs to an existing item or surface are deductible in the year incurred under section 25-10. A new kitchen is capital; a leaking dishwasher replacement is repair.

Can I claim my accountant's fees for preparing my rental schedule?#

Yes, accountants' fees relating to managing your tax affairs (including rental schedule preparation) are deductible under section 25-5 in the year incurred. This includes preparation of investment property tax returns, advice on rental issues, and ATO disputes related to investment properties.

Is loan interest still deductible during periods of vacancy?#

Yes, provided the property is genuinely available for rent and being actively marketed. If you withdraw the property from the rental market — to renovate, to allow family use, or while deciding whether to sell — interest deductions are denied for that period. Document active marketing efforts to support the deduction.

Do I need a depreciation schedule from a quantity surveyor, or can my accountant prepare one?#

The ATO accepts depreciation schedules prepared by qualified quantity surveyors, who are recognised under TR 97/25 as having the relevant expertise to estimate construction costs. Accountants generally cannot estimate construction costs for Division 43 purposes, which is why the QS report is the standard. Schedule cost ($660-$800) is deductible in year one.

Want to put these insights into action?

Presm gives you the tools to model, track, and grow your property portfolio with confidence.