If you buy a residential investment property where the construction commenced after 18 July 1985, you can claim depreciation on things like the brickwork, concrete, etc.
This can add up to thousands of dollars in tax deductions.
BUT if construction commenced on 17 July 1985 - you get nothing! So finding out the construction commencement date is pretty important.
So how can you determine when construction commenced on a property?
- Ring the local council or make a request in writing. This is often the most accurate way to find out. However, some councils do charge a small fee.
- Check with the local authorities, like Water and Electricity, to see whether they can ascertain when these services were first delivered to your property.
- If your property is a strata-titled property, check when the title was registered. This gives you an indication of the completion of construction and we can try and work back to the construction commencement date.
- Check the hot water system. If original, it should generally have the installation date stamped on it.
The date of construction is not always easy to find, and as Quantity Surveyors, we sometimes find ourselves playing detective!
