15/03/2024
Negative Gearing
Following the recent amendments to the stage three tax cuts, there has been a broader discussion on tax reforms to address housing affordability.
One potential area of debate regards negative gearing, a tax concession used by investors to lower taxable income and therefore personal tax obligations.
What is negative gearing?
Negative gearing occurs when the expenses associated with an asset exceed the income received. For example, an investment property may earn $30,000 in rental income and incur $40,000 in interest and maintenance costs. The net income would be a loss of $10,000 and be classified as negatively geared.
Conversely, positive gearing occurs when the income from the asset exceeds the expenses.
Why would an investor negative gear?
Losing money on an investment may sound counterintuitive. However, the strategy is coupled with the expectation that over time the increase in the capital value of the asset offsets accrued losses.
Will negative gearing laws be changed?
So far, the government has denied changes to negative gearing are on the table.
adviser