Saving Tax on Your Investment Property is a must read for property owners and accountants alike. Written in layman's terms (complemented with legal references), Noel Whittaker and Julia Hartman guide you through the traps and show you some neat tricks along the way. The aim? To keep more money where it belongs - in your pocket. This book can give you tax information you can rely on. Julia Hartman is a Registered Tax Agent and CPA who has been in practice for 16 years. These wonderful tax tricks are supported by legal precedents. Readers of Australian Property Investor will be aware of her accuracy and ability to think outside the square from her articles and her question and answer section in the magazine. The book covers every deduction in detail, you are shown how to crunch the numbers so you know what you are getting into, capital gains tax is explained and exploited. It is fresh off the presses, published in 2008, so contains up to the minute discussion of the latest on capitalised interest and ownership structures, a must read for both experienced and new investors. There is advice on how to handle an audit, issues affecting your home and a chapter for overseas investors. Over 250 pages that carefully build your knowledge starting with the very basics. Every reader will enjoy Noel Whittaker's easy reading style combined with Julia Hartman's mind numbing attention to detail, complete with loads of practical examples and strategies. Contents Introduction * 1 The Basics A great property investment stars with a solid foundation. This chapter is your foundation of knowledge. Experienced investors can speed-read it. * 2 Gearing Making a loss and still making money - will this strategy work for you? * 3 What Makes Interest Tax Deductible? Warning: misuse of a line of credit can render the whole loan no longer tax deductible. Understand the traps and when you can capitalise interest. * 4 Capitalising Interest - Part 1 But only if the dominant purpose is not a tax benefit. * 5 Financing Your Rental Property The benefits of borrowing to invest. Yes, there is such a thing as good debt! * 6 Capital Gains Tax The quirks and the perks. * 7 Capital Gains Tax and Death Estate planning and what to do if you inherit property. * 8 Some Not So Basic Must-Knows Don't skip this chapter! Common problems and pitfalls that continue to catch the unwary investor. * 9 What Name Should Be On the Title Deed? Who has the most to gain or lose? Are your assets protected? It's all about the right name at the right time. * 10 Investing Through Other Entities An overview of discretionary trusts, unit trusts, hybrid trusts, companies and self managed super funds. * 11 Case Studies On Which Name to Hold The Property In Easy-to follow common scenarios. 12 Repairs and Improvements Problems or opportunities. A repair or an improvement in disguise? Not knowing the difference could really cost you. * 13 Depreciation Wear and tear, but where and how? Will you need a quantity surveyor? What properties qualify? The impact on capital gains tax. * 14 Claiming Travel Travel expenses are more likely than any other claim to give you grief in an audit, but don't be intimida...be prepared! * 15 Crunching the Numbers Before You Buy Evaluating a rental property, heavy number crunching for informed decisions. * 16 Tricks with Tax, and Legal Too Tax advantages that are sound at law. * 17 A home of Your Own How to deal with the CGT consequences - extreme record keeping. * 18 Renting Out Your Own Home How to keep your main residence exemption and what to do about borrowings. * 19 Protecting Your Assets Whether it’s trouble from tenants or trouble in business, your assets will be safe if you’ve put the rights measures in place. * 20 Trusts…or Trust Me, This is Tough Stuff Discretionary, unit and hybrid trusts explained in detail * 21 Subdivision and Building You may think you want to be a developer, but this means having to charge GST and giving up the 50% CGT discount. * 22 Home and Away, Here and Overseas Owning properties overseas while living in Australia, and owning properties in Australia while living overseas. * 23 Capitalising Interest – Part II Down to detail… What the law says and how the ATO might interpret your actions. * 24 Wraps, Flips and Lease Options The jargon and tax consequences behind the hype. The answers damn straight. * 25 What to Expect in an ATO Audit Prepare to meet the taxman! The ATO audit questionnaires with commentary. * 26 Frequently Asked Questions Acronyms What commonly used abbreviations in "tax speak" stand for. Annexures Australian Taxation Office "effective life" list for depreciating plant and equipment Private Binding Ruling 66298 (hybrid trusts)