With over $24 billion being claimed in rental property deductions in 2007, Australia's 1.5 million landlords are again a strong focus for the ATO in the 2007/08 financial year.

The Second Commissioner of Taxation, Jennie Granger, has advised that the ATO is targeting landlords that have been in the market for a long time and have unusually high deductions, low rental income compared to deductions and high interest / borrowing expenses.

Depreciator's 2008 Tax Tips have been written to include the things that the ATO is looking out for, common mistakes that property investors make and useful tips to make you well informed when you do your tax return this year...

The end of the financial year brings that dreaded trip to the accountant and an assortment of taxing issues, but it doesn't have to be too painful!

In this article, Stuart Wemyss of ProSolution looks at some things you can consider doing today, to minimise your end of year tax bill (or boost the refund if you're one of the lucky ones), as well as some handy ideas to create a lucrative plan of attack for June 2009...  

In terms of depreciation, what should you consider when making an investment property purchase decision?

In this comprehensive article, Brendan Farrugia explains...

When you’ve spent a lifetime building your wealth it’s comforting to know that when your time is up your loved ones are cared for.

And let’s be blunt, you also don’t want any money grabbers getting their hands on it when you’ve gone. Is it possible to control who gets what, even when you’re not here?

I have often been asked whether one should have one Trust with lots of property, or should one have one property per Trust. The answer depends on a few things.
And while it would seem to be a complicated process, it is actually a fairly simple exercise.

I have often been asked whether we should have an individual as Trustee, or a Company as Trustee of a Trust? To answer that correctly we need to "start with the end in mind". What is the ultimate goal?

Are you simply going to buy one or two properties, or are you going to buy quite a few? From an Asset Protection point of view, if you are only going to buy one or two properties than perhaps using your selves as Trustees will be sufficient. However, if you are planning to buy lots of properties over the years then we definitely recommend a Company as Trustee.

Why? Click here to find out ...

Many Investors get confused when purchasing a property through a trust and wonder in who's name the contract should be.

In this article, accountant and best selling author Ed Chan removes some misconceptions and puts you on the straight and narrow.