Property & Investment

Property investment deserves more than a depreciation schedule

From rental properties to development projects and investment portfolios, the tax and structuring decisions around property have a compounding effect over time. We help investors get them right from the start — and course-correct when they haven't been.

2.2M

Australians who own at least one investment property

50%

CGT discount available on properties held for more than 12 months

Day 1

When property structuring decisions should be made — before purchase, not after

Structure first, everything else second

The most expensive property mistakes aren't made at settlement — they're made before it. Buying an investment property in the wrong name, at the wrong time, without accounting for land tax thresholds or CGT implications, creates problems that are difficult and costly to unwind.

We work with property investors at every stage: from pre-purchase structuring advice, through to annual tax compliance, depreciation claims, and eventual sale or succession planning. Our goal is to ensure every decision — from the entity you hold property in to the timing of a sale — is made with the full tax picture in front of you.

What we cover

  • Investment property tax returns — rental income, deductions, and depreciation
  • Negative gearing — maximising allowable deductions against assessable income
  • Depreciation schedules — coordinating with quantity surveyors and claiming correctly
  • Capital gains tax (CGT) planning — timing, 50% discount eligibility, and main residence exemptions
  • Land tax obligations across Queensland and other jurisdictions
  • Structuring advice — individual, joint, trust, company, or SMSF ownership
  • Property development tax — GST on new residential premises, margin scheme elections
  • Short-term rental properties — Airbnb and holiday let tax treatment

The structuring question most investors get wrong

One of the most common questions we receive is: "Should I hold my investment property in a trust?" The honest answer is: it depends — and the factors that determine the right structure include your income, your partner's income, your other assets, your estate planning intentions, and whether you anticipate future property purchases.

Getting this right before purchase avoids stamp duty on future restructuring, preserves CGT discount eligibility, and can deliver significant land tax savings over time. Getting it wrong is expensive to fix.

Selling — and keeping as much as possible

CGT on the sale of an investment property can be substantial — but it is also one of the most plannable tax events in the calendar. The 50% CGT discount for assets held over 12 months, the main residence exemption, the six-year rule, and the interaction with your other income that year all need to be considered well before you sign a contract of sale.

We work with clients in the lead-up to property sales to model the tax outcome and, where possible, identify timing and structuring strategies that reduce it.

Let's talk

Ready to work with an accountant who actually thinks about your future?