The deduction most property investors never claim.
It doesn’t cost you anything to claim. It’s often the largest deduction on your property. And you need a Quantity Surveyor to unlock it.
● For Investors
What is depreciation, in plain English.
Your investment property is an asset that earns you income. And like any asset, it wears out. The oven ages, the carpet wears, the building itself slowly depreciates.
The ATO lets you claim that wear and tear as a tax deduction. Here's what makes it powerful: it's a non-cash deduction. You don't spend a cent to claim it, the property simply got a year older. But it comes straight off your taxable income.
And because Australia taxes your total income, that deduction can reduce the tax you pay on your salary too.
What is actually claimable?
The building itself
Division 43
The bricks, concrete, walls, roof and permanent fixtures. Claimed gradually, typically 2.5% a year over 40 years. Small percentage, big base, adds up substantially.
Everything inside it
Division 40
Ovens, dishwashers, carpets, blinds, air conditioning, hot water systems, smoke alarms, light fittings. These wear out faster, so a large share can be claimed in the early years.
● For Investors
Why do you need a Quantity Surveyor?
To build the schedule, someone has to estimate what every component originally cost to construct - especially on older properties where the original invoices are long gone. Estimating construction costs is the professional domain of a Quantity Surveyor.
Your accountant isn't qualified to do it, which is why they'll refer you to someone like us. Every BaseValue schedule is prepared and signed by a qualified QS.
● For Investors
What you get.
A complete year-by-year depreciation schedule, projected across the life of the property
Both diminishing value and prime cost methods, so your accountant can choose
Delivered as PDF and Excel - hand it straight to your accountant
One schedule, claimed every year for the life of the property
Signed by a qualified QS and ATO-compliant
Frequently Asked Questions
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We rebuilt the process. Instead of sending an inspector to walk your property, you upload photos and documents online, and our AI-assisted system handles the heavy lifting of identifying and valuing every asset. A qualified Quantity Surveyor then reviews and signs every schedule before it's released. Same professional standard, at a fraction of the time.
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Yes. A site visit isn't what makes a schedule accurate - the data and the QS's judgment are. You give us detailed photos and information about the property, our process works through it, and a qualified Quantity Surveyor checks and signs every schedule. The inspection was always the slow, expensive part, not the part that made it correct.
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Yes, though the rules changed in 2017. If you bought an established residential property after that date, you generally can't claim depreciation on the existing used plant and equipment you inherited - but you can still claim the building structure (often the larger figure), plus anything you install yourself. Brand-new properties and commercial properties aren't affected. We'll tell you honestly what you can and can't claim.
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Typically lower than inspection-based firms.
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We’ll tell you upfront if your property isn’t worth a schedule.
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Most ages. Homes built before 1985 generally can’t claim the original structure, but later renovations often can if there are records of the work. Your free property check tells you what’s claimable first.
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Not yet. We’re starting with residential investment properties so every schedule meets our standard. Commercial is coming - tell us about your property and we’ll let you know when it’s available.