Tax 101 for property investors

Negative gearing in 2026, depreciation schedules that pay for themselves, CGT discount nuances, PAYG income tax variation. We are not tax advisers, speak to a registered tax agent.

13 min readBy James MitchellStage 4 of 7

Negative gearing is a deduction, not a strategy. The strategy is total after-tax return. Here’s the cost-base maths most investors get wrong.

Depreciation

A quantity surveyor’s schedule on a post-2017 build often returns $4,000–$9,000/yr in non-cash deductions. The schedule itself costs $700–$900 and is itself deductible.

Note: This is general information only and is not tax, legal or financial advice. Speak with an appropriately licensed professional before acting.

WARNING: This comparison rate is true only for the example given and may not include all fees and charges. Different terms, fees, or other loan amounts might result in a different comparison rate. Comparison rates are based on a secured loan of $30,000 over 5 years for vehicle finance and $50,000 over 5 years for equipment finance, as required under the National Credit Code.