Investment property tax deductions in Australia
Every deductible expense, state by state, with the land tax thresholds, stamp duty brackets and surcharges that change your after-tax result. Then the part the ATO actually checks: the record behind each one.
What you can claim, on the ATO’s own lines
- Advertising for tenants
- Body corporate fees and charges
- Borrowing expenses
- Cleaning
- Council rates
- Deductions for decline in value
- Gardening/lawn mowing
- Insurance
- Interest on loans
- Land tax/State charges
- Legal expenses
- Pest control
- Property agent fees/commission
- Repairs and maintenance
- Capital works deductions
- Water charges
- Sundry rental expenses
The 17 lines of the FY 2026-27 rental schedule. Each one is only claimable with the record behind it.
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Rental schedule
FY 2026-27 · 14 Marsden St, Parramatta NSW
Loan interest, Jan to Jun
30 Jun · $11,842.16
Interest on loans
Council rates, Q3
14 Feb · $512.00
Council rates
Sydney Water
2 Apr · $184.35
Water charges
Landlord insurance renewal
19 Aug · $1,296.40
Insurance
Plumber, hot water unit
7 May · $380.00
Repairs and maintenance
Needs receipt to claim
Agent statement, monthly
31 May · $166.10
Property agent fees/commission
Land tax assessment
12 Nov · $2,140.00
Land tax/State charges
- From your records
- Figures computed at current ATO rates, every source shown.
- Every state checked
- Land tax, duty and surcharges against each revenue office.
- Yours to take
- Export to CSV or PDF any time. Cancel any time.
The investment property deductions checklist, by email
What to gather for each deduction, the deductions to bring forward before 30 June, and the apportionment mistakes the ATO looks for. One email now, with a link to the interactive version that saves your progress.
Knowing the deduction is half of it
The other half is still having the record at lodgement. Vestly sorts rates, water, insurance, repairs, depreciation and land tax into their ATO rental schedule labels, keeps the document attached to the line it belongs to, and flags anything not yet substantiated. Start with one property.
14-day trial, no card needed to start. Cancel any time. For eligible new customers on selected plans; confirm your terms before starting.
Choose your state or territory
Australian property investors deal with two layers of tax. The federal layer (ATO income tax, CGT, depreciation) is the same in every state. The state layer (land tax, stamp duty, foreign-owner surcharges, vacant-residential surcharges) varies sharply and gets refreshed every state budget.
Quoting the wrong threshold can mean missing a $1,000+ deduction or under-pricing your purchase by 1-2% in stamp duty. These guides keep the federal section identical and document the state layer with the specific dollar thresholds, rates and forms in use right now.
- NSWNew South WalesCPI-indexed stamp duty schedule plus a $1.075m land tax threshold and a 5% foreign-owner surcharge.
- Land tax threshold
- $1,075,000
- Entry rate
- 1.6% + $100
- VICVictoriaLowest land tax threshold in the country ($50k) and a separate Vacant Residential Land Tax.
- Land tax threshold
- $50,000
- Entry rate
- From $500 flat
- QLDQueenslandAggregated land tax (all your QLD land combined) plus an 8% foreign acquirer additional duty on transfers.
- Land tax threshold
- $600,000
- Entry rate
- From $500 + 1%
- WAWestern AustraliaStable stamp duty schedule, $300k land tax threshold, and no foreign land tax surcharge (the 7% foreign surcharge is stamp duty).
- Land tax threshold
- $300,000
- Entry rate
- Flat $300, then 0.25%+
- SASouth AustraliaHighest land tax threshold outside NSW ($833k for 2025-26, indexed annually) and no foreign land tax surcharge (the 7% figure is stamp duty).
- Land tax threshold
- $833,000
- Entry rate
- From 0.5%
- TASTasmaniaLifted land tax threshold to $125k in 2024 and runs a stable stamp duty schedule unchanged since 2013.
- Land tax threshold
- $125,000
- Entry rate
- $50 + 0.45%
- ACTAustralian Capital TerritoryNo land tax threshold (every investor property is liable). Charged quarterly with a $1,693 fixed charge.
- Land tax threshold
- No threshold
- Entry rate
- $1,693 fixed + 0.54-1.26%
- NTNorthern TerritoryThe only Australian jurisdiction with no land tax. Stamp duty uses a piecewise polynomial under $525k.
- Land tax threshold
- No land tax
- Entry rate
- Not applicable
Run the numbers
The guides explain the rules. The calculators apply them to your inputs.
- Negative gearing calculator - estimate the tax saving from a deductible loss
- CGT calculator - 50% discount applied for > 12 month holds
- Cashflow calculator - weekly / monthly position after tax
- Upfront costs calculator - stamp duty + LMI + legal by state
- Rental yield calculator - gross and net yield on any property
- Land tax calculator - the deductible state land tax by jurisdiction
Keep every expense substantiated
In June 2024 the ATO said the majority of rental property owners are making errors in their tax returns, despite 86% using a registered tax agent, and put it plainly: if you do not have sufficient records, you cannot claim it. Vestly sorts rates, water, insurance, repairs, depreciation and land tax into their ATO rental schedule labels, keeps the documents attached, and flags every line that is not yet substantiated for your EOFY review.
Track my deductions14-day trial, no card needed to start. Cancel any time. For eligible new customers on selected plans; confirm your terms before starting. A$16 a month on Vestly Pro, for your ready-to-submit tax pack.
General information current as of May 2026. Tax rules change frequently. Not financial or legal advice. Consult a registered tax agent or your state revenue office for advice on your situation.