Federal Budget 2026: What the Proposed Tax Changes Could Mean for Property Investors

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OUR FRIENDS AT DUO TAX HAVE PROVIDED AN INSIGHTFUL ANALYSIS OF THE ANNOUNCED CHANGES TO PROPERTY TAX. THEIR ARTICLE IS REPRODUCED HERE. The Federal Budget 2026 includes proposed tax changes from the federal government that could affect Australian property investors, homeowners, and individuals. Key announcements focus on capital gains tax, negative gearing, new build investment properties, and future tax records. For investors, these changes may affect how primary production income and residential rental losses are treated, how net capital gains are calculated, and whether a property’s market value needs stronger evidence. Many measures are still proposals and have not yet […]

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Rental property data matching

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Rental property data matching – now more than ever owners need to get it right. The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) is warning rental property owners that their tax returns continue to be a key focus. Audit activity in this area has found that 90% of rental property owners are making errors in their tax returns. The ATO is making use of cutting-edge artificial intelligence and data-matching technology to uncover undeclared income and incorrect deductions. Common errors include: Failure to declare The ATO accesses property management data, rental bond information and reporting from platforms offering short-term accommodation services. The goal is […]

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Foreign Residents Capital Gains Withholding Clearance Certificates

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The foreign resident capital gains withholding (FRCGW) regime has had a rate rise and includes all property owners, including owners of residential, commercial and vacant land. The changes apply to all property sales contracts dated 1 January 2025 and beyond, regardless of the sale price. To be exempt from FRCGW the seller must provide a clearance certificate — proving they are an Australian resident for tax purposes — to the buyer at the time of settlement, if not before. Buyers who do not receive the clearance certificate from the seller are required to withhold 15% of the property sale price. […]

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Do you qualify for the main residence exemption on the sale of your home?

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For many taxpayers, claiming a main residence exemption from capital gains tax (CGT) is quite straightforward. This is where they are Australian tax residents, purchase their home on a normal sized block, move straight in and have the one property as their main residence until they sell it. Small variations to this situation however may require the making of CGT elections and detailed tax calculations. To meet the requirements to claim the main residence exemption for CGT purposes, you need to satisfy a number of criteria. If any of these criteria are not met, then the main residence exemption may […]

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New Financial Year Resolutions

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The beginning of a new financial year is an excellent time to make some “New Financial Year Resolutions”. Take the opportunity to review your financial position and seek improvements. BETTER RECORD KEEPING It is important to collect and organise your tax documents throughout the year to ensure that deductions are maximised and correctly claimed. There are several apps that can make this process easier. These apps enable you to take photos of tax receipts, recording potential tax deductible expenses on your phone at any time. This information can be forwarded to your accountant at year end for review and allowable […]

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Rental Property Owners – Pre-Year End Checklist

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Many individuals who own a rental property receive a tax refund because the property is negatively geared. That is, where your interest deduction results in a tax loss from the property. Accordingly, once 30th June comes around, you expect a fast turnaround in lodging your return and receiving your refund. A bit of pre-planning can make tax time more efficient and produce the best possible result. Some simple strategies are as follows: RECORD KEEPING: You must have evidence of your income and expense so you can claim everything you are entitled to. It is important that you keep all receipts […]

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QBCC Annual Reporting assistance – updated March 2025

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QBCC Annual Reporting assistance Annual reporting for licence categories 1-7 is due by 31 December each year. If you did not meet the deadline you must still provide your annual financial information as soon as possible. Although the QBCC advice is that providing them with your annual financial information does not require a special visit to your accountant, if you are unsure about the information that is required to be submitted, it is best to seek some assistance or advice.  A review of your financial position in advance of lodging the information requested can ensure that you are submitting full […]

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Changing accountants?

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Your relationship with your accountant is based upon trust and communication. If you are not satisfied with the service provided by your current accountant, we recommend you talk to them about it. Discuss your expectations in an open and honest manner and how you feel that they are not being met.  Your current accountant should be receptive to your concerns and be willing to work with you to resolve the issues. There are many reasons why you may wish to change accountants.  These include: feeling that there is a lack of understanding about your business and minimal volunteering of proactive […]

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Why buy property?

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Property or real estate is one of the many asset classes that people can own. It has a special set of characteristics that often make it attractive for people to acquire and retain in preference to other asset classes. Whilst these characteristics can vary from country to country and indeed state to state, in Australia they include: A unique physically identifiable asset capable of enduring ownership with a registered title; There is a limited supply, resulting in sustainable value; Can generate income whilst being owned by allowing someone else to use; There is a legal process for buying and selling; […]

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