Here are our 6 tips for buying a holiday home: 1. Location is key: When it comes to rental properties, location is everything. Look for properties in areas with strong rental demand and good potential for appreciation. 2. Do your research: Before making any investment, it's important to thoroughly research the market and the specific property you're considering. Look at factors like rental income, occupancy rates, and local economic conditions. 3. Be prepared for the long-term: Rental properties can be a great long-term investment, but they also require a lot of work and attention. Find a good holiday home property manager and cultivate the relationship. You are both in it for the long haul. 4. Have a plan for vacation rental: When it comes to beach or holiday homes, it's important to have a plan for how you'll use the property when you're not there. Will you rent it out to vacationers or use it as a personal getaway? Knowing how you'll use the property will help you make informed decisions about things like location and amenities. 5. Invest in amenities that renters want: Amenities that renters are looking for include things like high-speed internet access, a heat pump and off-street parking. Investing in these amenities can increase the appeal of your property and help you command higher rents. 6. Think about the future: As much as you are thinking about the present, don't forget to think about the future. Evaluate the current market trends, and anticipate what could happen in the future. This will help you make a more informed decision and avoid costly mistakes. Want to talk about tax? Wealth creation? Planning for retirement? Contact us on 099730706 line 2 or email us.
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Investing in property in New Zealand can be a good opportunity to generate rental income and potentially earn long-term capital appreciation. Here are some things to consider when investing in property in New Zealand:
NEXT STEPSContact us on 0800890132 line 2, or via our contact form. We'll help you evaluate your situation and connect you with the right people.
![]() Perhaps you’ve been thinking "I want to buy property," but you’re worried about your debt. Here are 5 debt pay-off strategies! Before you start looking for a real estate agent, scheduling property tours, putting down offers, it’s time to get rid of your debt once and for all - or reduce it as much as possible. When you’re ready to invest in real estate, EpsomTax.com can help you along the way! In the meantime, these tips will help you tackle your debt burden. Think Outside the BoXAs you browse local listings, you might be worried that the high asking prices will prevent you from breaking into the housing market. But if you think outside the box, you might be surprised by your options. For example, you could consider buying an apartment, purchasing a home with space for a “mother-in-law” suite that you can rent out, or buying a home “as-is.” If you choose to buy a home “as is,” you’ll save money upfront, but you’ll also be responsible for fixing any problems after you move, like structural issues, eliminating mold and mildew, patching leaks, and getting rid of pests. A seller will not be responsible for fixing problems like this. OPTIMISE YOUR BUSINESS STRUCTUREIf you’re a business owner, there are a few things you can do to increase your take-home pay and increase your home buying budget. For instance, by structuring your business as a Limited Liability Company (LLC), you can take advantage of additional tax breaks. With LLC status, you can also rest assured that your personal financial assets will be better protected if your business runs into economic trouble. Before you start gathering your paperwork for filing, check the rules in your area for forming an LLC. CONSOLIDATE YOUR DEBTS What if you’re juggling multiple loans or forms of debt? You might be wondering which debts you should pay off first, or you might stress out about missing payments. Consolidating your debts can help you avoid these pitfalls. If you’re interested in consolidating your debts, Nectar recommends calculating your average interest rates first, because you’ll want to ensure that your debt consolidation loan interest rate is either equal to or lower than this figure. PICK UP A SIDE-HUSTLEIf you’re struggling to make all of your payments on time, you may want to call up your creditors and talk to them about setting up alternate payment plans. But you’ll also want to explore a few ways that you could increase your income. Picking up a side-hustle is a great way to pay off your debts on a faster timeline and make your payments more comfortably. Which side hustle should you pursue? Unity recommends walking dogs, joining a ride-share app, doing odd jobs for your neighbors, or becoming a mystery shopper. SMART BUDGETINGOverall, savvy budgeting is the key to paying down your debt. You need to make sure that at the end of the month, you have plenty of money left over after paying all of your necessary bills. If you know that you’ve been overspending, it’s time to start tracking every penny you spend. Try tracking your spending carefully for a month, and then sit down to go over everything you spent money on. Where can you cut back? Is there anything unnecessary that you were purchasing that you can eliminate from your budget completely?
Dealing with debt can be frustrating. But with the right approach to personal finance, you won’t be stuck with your debt forever. By saving carefully, looking for additional sources of income, and budgeting well, you can pay off your debts and buy your dream home! Are you interested in real estate investing? Turn to EpsomTax.com to get started! Fill out the contact form on our website today to get in touch or call 099730706 line 2 Are The Losses From My Rental in NZ Tax Deductible in Australia if I'm Working There? Part 26/6/2022
The Australian Tax Office (ATO) wrote back! Call me pessimistic, but I didn't think we'd get a reply. Nonetheless, a few days ago it arrived. Here's the two questions we asked, and the response of the ATO regarding personal attribution of losses from a Look Through Company (LTC): Question #1 Seeing as a New Zealander working in Australia is taxed on his worldwide income, does the ATO allow losses from rental property in New Zealand owned by a New Zealand LTC to be offset against personal waged income earned in Australia? Answer "For Australian income tax purposes, companies are unable to distribute lossees from rental properties (or other losses) to their shareholders." In other words, No. Question #2
Seeing as a New Zealander working in Australia is taxed on his worldwide income, does the ATO allow losses from rental property in New Zealand personally owned by said individual to be offset against personal waged income earned in Australia? Answer "If an Australian resident's overseas property tax deductions are greater than their overseas rental income, they will have a foreign tax loss. They can use their foreign income loss to reduce their Australian income." In other words, Yes. So, what's in it for me then? Well, dear reader, the point is this: If you have negatively-geared rental property in New Zealand, which is personally owned i.e., not by a company, then you can claim the losses against your tax in Australia. How it works is this:
BUT, there is a gotcha. This means that
So, you need to consider the long-term scenario before doing so. We recommend you talk to an accountant who is skilled in this area first. What about...
In this blast from the past (2013), Daniel Carney of Goodlife Financial Advice brings you this insightful interview with Garreth Collard, Principal at EpsomTax.com The topic in question is whether an LTC is the right ownership structure for your Residential Investment Property. We pick Garreth's brain to get to the heart of whether an LTC is right for you. A 'must see' for any investment property owners! Topics Discussed are:
* From 1 April 2019, tax losses will no longer flow through from LTCs that are residential land rich. Please see us or call for advice on how to get the best results from your portfolio, build wealth and minimise tax
![]() Inland Revenue released a Tax Information Bulletin (TIB) in September 2019, which clarified this. For the purposes of this blog post, we are going to assume that the LTC or an individual only holds residential rental property i.e. no commercial, they are not a trader or an associated person or a developer etc, they don't have an Airbnb-style short-stay accommodation house in the picture. Can losses from an LTC with residential rental property be offset against income from rentals owned by a partnership or in your personal name? It depends on whether
However, the answer is essentially, "Yes", if:
So the result is, you can have a negatively-geared LTC, and given the above points, the losses can flow through to you as a shareholder. You can then offset this against profits from a personally-owned rental (either solely owned or in a partnership). The situation also works in reverse ie there are profits in the LTC and losses in the personal/partnership rental. Note that you can't offset any losses against income from other sources e.g. wages, like you used to in the good old days. That is what the concept of "ring-fencing of losses" means. The losses are "ring-fenced" so that they only apply to residential rental property. Some interesting points
Do restructure strategies such as selling your old family home to an LTC still work? We have previously recommended this, in blog posts such as this one. The answer is now a big "no." Why? Changing ownership structures will now not shift/change non-deductible debt into deductible debt in any residential investment property scenario, including short-stay accommodation. For more info, see this blog article For more info, the IRD Sept 2019 TIB is below As always, situations vary, so please contact us for advice on your specific situation. Call 099730706 or email us here ![]()
With the government's shock introduction of laws slashing interest deductions on existing rental properties, where can you as an investor put your money? What will get you the best return while still maximizing tax deductions? We present 9 strategies:
WEBINAR:
SUMMARY OF CHANGESChanges announced in April 2021 by the government:
HOW DOES THIS AFFECT ME?At present, when you receive rents, you can offset expenses against that rental income to reduce the taxable profit. A big part of this is interest paid on the rental mortgage/s. If the expenses are more than the income (a "loss"), the Ring Fencing laws mean the loss can't offset non-rental income, and the loss instead is carried forward to the next year. If you have two or more rentals, the loss from one property can offset the profit from another (depending on how your affairs are structured). However, under these new laws, the interest deduction will (over 4 years) be reduced, then finally removed. Rental properties will make more profit, and for almost everyone: there will be a lot of tax to pay. And of course, if you can't claim the expenses on interest, but still have to pay it... where does the money come from? You have to raise the rent. WHAT SHOULD I DO?
FAQQ: So what can I claim? A: You can claim all the usual costs e.g. property management, repairs & maintenance, rates, insurance, legal etc. Re interest: It depends on timing. The following chart shows how much you can claim, depending on when you "acquired" the property: Q: How do I work out the tax impact? A: The calculator below will help you work out the taxable income. The exact tax depends on many things e.g. owned personally or via a trust or LTC? How much wages you receive etc etc. Note that this calculator assumes you already own/have "acquired" the investment property/ies. ![]()
Q: My rental was a new build. Does it still qualify as a new build under these laws?
A: Probably not. Q: Is short-stay accommodation caught by the new interest deductibility limitations? A: It would appear that mixed-use-assets (MUAs) - which are holiday homes partly used personally and which are vacant for at least 62 days in a year - are not caught by these new rules, but IRD specify this (at 2.33) "the Government considers it important that where a residential property could be used to provide long-term rental accommodation, the income tax treatment is the same whether the property is used to provide long-term rental accommodation or short-stay accommodation. Any income tax advantage provided for properties used for short-stay accommodation could reduce effective housing supply." In other words, it would seem that yes, it is caught. Just remember that this is all "draft" at this stage, so not actual law. Q: When did I "acquire" my rental property? A: For tax purposes, a property is generally acquired on the date a binding sale and purchase agreement is entered into (even if some conditions still need to be met). More info here. Note that for the purposes of the changes outlined here, a property acquired on or after 27 March 2021 will be treated as having been acquired before 27 March 2021, if the purchase was the result of an offer the purchaser made on or before 23 March 2021 that cannot be withdrawn before 27 March 2021. Q: My property sale will be taxable due to the Bright-Line Test (BLT). Can I claim the interest costs in that scenario? A: No one knows. IRD say "The Government will consult on the detail of these proposals. Consultation will cover an exemption for new builds acquired as a residential investment property, and whether all people who are taxed on the sale of a property (for example under the bright-line tests) should be able to deduct their interest expense at the time of the sale." Q: How do the "main home" changes work? A: Actually, it reminds us a bit of how CGT works in Aussie. There is a great explanation at Stuff together with an example. (Thanks Stuff.co.nz!) The Residential Tenancies laws have changed. What effect does the "Healthy Homes Act" have on landlords? The Residential Tenancies Amendment Act takes effect in three main stages: Phase 1: Law changes from 12 August 2020
I'm freaking out already Fear not! MBIE have provided this great checklist to work through: ![]()
Phase 2: Law changes to take effect from 11 February 2021
Phase 3: Law changes to take effect by 11 August 2021 (but may take effect earlier if the Government agrees)
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![]() Is selling your home taxable?, Or in other words, do you have to pay tax when selling your home? Buying and selling your private or family home typically is not taxable. However some are looking to purchase a family home with the intention of reselling it in time, and a few earn their income this way – buying and selling. If you have established a pattern of purchasing and then selling your “family home,” this could be considered as property speculation or dealing for tax purposes. So, how do you know whether you are considered a property speculator, dealer or wheer you are an investor?
How do you know if selling your home will be taxable? Think carefully about the answers to these five questions. QUESTIONSQ. Ok, so I just have to hold onto a property for a really long time and then I’m not considered a dealer? A. No. The amount of time you hold the property is immaterial. It’s your intention at the time of acquisition.If you bought a property with the intention of reselling it, then any capital gain that you make on the sale taxable. Q. Right-o. So, is there some sort of level? That is, my first couple of properties are tax-free and then I pay tax after that? A. Ahhh… no. Again, it’s intention, patterns and associations – not numbers of properties sold. Q. What period of Brightline Test applies to my house? A. The bright-line property rule looks at whether the property was acquired:
Q. What about sub-dividing? Is that taxable? A. That's a big subject. Contact us. Q. Great. It looks like I might have to pay tax then. How do I figure that out? A. Contact us. * For more info see this link at Inland Revenue
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