You might be closer to your first home deposit than you think

, ,

You’ve probably heard the federal government is giving $25,000 grants to eligible Australians looking to build or substantially renovate their homes. Today we’ll look at what that means for first home buyers when combined with state and territory schemes.

If you’ve been umming and ahhing about purchasing your first home for a while now, we have great news: you’d be hard-pressed to find a time when there were more government incentives to help you enter the property market.

For starters, there’s the federal government’s First Home Loan Deposit Scheme, which can help you buy your first home with a deposit of just 5% without having to pay lenders mortgage insurance (LMI) – so that’s one major cost out of the way.

But you’ll still need that 5% deposit, right?

Well, each state and territory (except ACT) has a first homeowner grant program, with most grants between $10,000 and $20,000.

On top of that, the federal government will give eligible Australians $25,000 to build or substantially renovate homes as part of the new HomeBuilder scheme (however, at this stage it’s still unclear whether or not this amount can go towards your initial deposit).

Last but certainly not least, most states and territories have stamp duty discounts or exemptions for first home buyers too, which can save you tens of thousands of dollars – another hurdle cleared!

Below, we’ll break down exactly what’s on offer in each state and territory and just how much these government initiatives could help put you within reach of a deposit on your first home.

NEW SOUTH WALES

First homeowner grant: $10,000 for new homes valued up to $750,000.

First Home Loan Deposit Scheme: LMI saving of up to $10,000.

Stamp duty: exemption on homes up to $650,000, partial concession on homes between $650,000 and $800,000.

With HomeBuilder, you could have: up to $45,000 in government support + stamp duty exemption.

VICTORIA

First homeowner grant: $10,000 (urban) and $20,000 (regional) for new homes valued up to $750,000.

First Home Loan Deposit Scheme: LMI saving of up to $10,000.

Stamp duty: exemption on homes up to $600,000, partial concession on homes between $600,001 and $750,000.

With HomeBuilder, you could have: between $45,000 and $55,000 in government support + stamp duty exemption.

QUEENSLAND

First homeowner grant: $15,000 on new homes valued at less than $750,000.

First Home Loan Deposit Scheme: LMI saving of up to $10,000.

Stamp duty: exemption on homes up to $500,000, partial concession on homes up to $550,000.

With HomeBuilder, you could have: up to $50,000 in government support + up to $15,925 in stamp duty concessions.

WESTERN AUSTRALIA

First homeowner grant: $10,000 on new or substantially renovated homes valued at less than $750,000 south of the 26th parallel (latitude), or less than $1,000,000 north of the 26th parallel. WA also offers $20,000 grants for new homes built on vacant land or off-the-plan single-storey developments.

First Home Loan Deposit Scheme: LMI saving of up to $10,000.

Stamp duty: exemption on homes valued at up to $430,000, partial concession on homes up to $530,000. An off-the-plan unit rebate is available for more expensive homes.

With HomeBuilder, you could have: up to $65,000 in government support + applicable stamp duty concessions.

SOUTH AUSTRALIA

First homeowner grant: $15,000 on new homes valued up to $575,000.

First Home Loan Deposit Scheme: LMI saving of up to $10,000.

Stamp duty: full concession on off-the-plan new or substantially refurbished apartments up to $500,000.

With HomeBuilder, you could have: up to $50,000 in government support + stamp duty concession.

TASMANIA

First homeowner grant: $20,000 on new homes (reduced to $10,000 from 1 July 2020).

First Home Loan Deposit Scheme: LMI saving of up to $10,000.

Stamp duty: a 50% discount on stamp duty for established properties valued at $400,000 or less.

With HomeBuilder, you could have: up to $55,000 in government support.

AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY

First homeowner grant: none.

First Home Loan Deposit Scheme: LMI saving of up to $10,000.

Stamp duty: first home buyers in the ACT pay no duty so long as their household income is below $160,00-$176,650, depending on how many dependents you have.

With HomeBuilder, you could have: up to $35,000 in government support + stamp duty exemption.

NORTHERN TERRITORY

First homeowner grant: $10,000 for new homes.

First Home Loan Deposit Scheme: LMI saving of up to $10,000.

Stamp duty: you can get up to $18,601 off your stamp duty costs.

With HomeBuilder, you could have: up to $45,000 in government support + up to $18,601 in stamp duty savings.

Get in touch

So, that covers the first home buyer schemes. If you think you might be eligible, the next thing to organise is financing your new home.

And that’s where we come in. Lenders will still want you to show some sort of genuine savings before they’ll approve a loan application, and we can help you get everything in order for that assessment process.

So if you’d like help obtaining finance to pay for the first home of your dreams, get in touch with us today – we’re here to help you any way we can.

Disclaimer: The content of this article is general in nature and is presented for informative purposes. It is not intended to constitute tax or financial advice, whether general or personal nor is it intended to imply any recommendation or opinion about a financial product. It does not take into consideration your personal situation and may not be relevant to circumstances. Before taking any action, consider your own particular circumstances and seek professional advice. This content is protected by copyright laws and various other intellectual property laws. It is not to be modified, reproduced or republished without prior written consent.

So, who’s eligible for the $25,000 HomeBuilder scheme?

,

You might have heard that the federal government will give eligible Australians $25,000 to build or substantially renovate homes as part of the new HomeBuilder scheme. Today we’ll look at who exactly can qualify for the initiative.

The $680 million program, which is part of the federal government’s economic response to the coronavirus pandemic, aims to support more than 1 million builders, painters, plumbers and electricians across the country.

It’s also a win for many Australians wanting to buy a new home or begin an overdue reno, as the $25,000 grants are non-taxable and will complement existing state and territory first home owner grant programs, stamp duty concessions and other federal schemes.

So, without further ado let’s see whether or not you might be eligible.

Eligibility details

To access HomeBuilder, owner-occupiers must:

– be an individual, not a company or trust;

– be aged 18 years or older;

– be an Australian citizen; and

– have an income of less than $125,000 per annum for an individual applicant, or $200,000 for a couple (income caps are based on 2018/19 tax returns or later).

Additionally, you must enter into a building contract between 4 June 2020 and 31 December 2020 to either:

– build a new home as a principal place of residence valued up to $750,000 (including land); or

– substantially renovate your existing home as a principal place of residence, with renovations valued at between $150,000 and $750,000, and with the dwelling not valued at more than $1.5 million before the renovation.

Construction must be contracted to commence within three months of the contract date.

Other eligibility details

All dwelling types – including houses, apartments, house and land packages and off-the-plan dwellings – are eligible.

However, HomeBuilder cannot be used for additions that are unconnected to the principal place of residence, such as swimming pools, tennis courts, outdoor spas and saunas, and detached sheds or garages.

HomeBuilder is also not available for investment properties or to owner-builders.

A few final important details

The $25,000 grant will go directly to the applicant, not the contractors.

Renovations or building work must be undertaken by a registered or licenced building service contractor.

To help protect against inflated quotes and pricings, the registered or licensed builder must be able to demonstrate that the contract price for the new build or renovation is no higher than the cost of comparable works done back in July 2019.

To find out more about what the HomeBuilder grant might mean for you, check out the case studies at the bottom of this Treasury HomeBuilder factsheet.

They run through scenarios involving a house and land package, a renovation, an off-the-plan apartment, knocking down and rebuilding a house, and building on a vacant block.

Get in touch

So, that covers the scheme’s eligibility details. If you’ve ticked the above boxes, the next thing to tackle is financing the project.

And that’s where we can help.

If you’d like help obtaining finance to pay for the new home or reno of your dreams, get in touch with us today – we’re here to help make your HomeBuilder dreams a reality.

Disclaimer: The content of this article is general in nature and is presented for informative purposes. It is not intended to constitute tax or financial advice, whether general or personal nor is it intended to imply any recommendation or opinion about a financial product. It does not take into consideration your personal situation and may not be relevant to circumstances. Before taking any action, consider your own particular circumstances and seek professional advice. This content is protected by copyright laws and various other intellectual property laws. It is not to be modified, reproduced or republished without prior written consent.

How the instant asset write-off applies to vehicles

,

Got your eye on a shiny new vehicle for your business thanks to the $150,000 instant asset write-off? We’ve got the answers to the FAQs many business owners are asking ahead of the looming EOFY deadline.

Need a new van for that delivery service your business has started? Or perhaps your trusty old ute is now more ‘old’ than ‘trusty’.

To help businesses with cash flow amidst the coronavirus pandemic, the federal government has increased the instant asset write-off threshold from $30,000 to a whopping $150,000 until June 30.

Under the scheme, you can immediately write off the cost of assets – such as new and second-hand vehicles – allowing you to claim the deduction in one hit, rather than over the lifetime of the assets.

But (and there’s always a but!), there are several important exclusions and limits when it comes to vehicles under the scheme, which the ATO has recently clarified. Here’s a summary of their new guidance.

Does the instant asset write-off apply equally to all vehicles?

Unfortunately not. Vehicles with a total cost of less than $150,000 are eligible.

However, if you purchase a car – one that’s designed to carry a load less than one tonne and fewer than nine passengers – then you can only claim a limit of $57,581 (unless it’s been fitted out for use by people with disability).

That said, the threshold applies on a per asset basis, so eligible businesses can immediately write off multiple assets (see case studies below).

What about bigger vehicles?

Good news!

The $150,000 threshold applies to heavy-duty vehicles such as trucks, tractors, machinery and one-tonne utes.

But remember: the total cost of the vehicle must be less than $150,000 (including all relevant taxes) in order to be eligible.

Can you claim the full cost of the car if you use it for both business and private use?

No.

If you use a car for both business and private use, you can only claim the business portion.

The deduction is also limited to the business portion of the car limit.

For example, if you use your car for 75% business use, the total you can claim is 75% of $57,581.

What happens if you’ve ordered and paid for your car by EOFY, but not received it?

Bad news, sorry.

You must have first used your car, or have it delivered and ready for use, between 12 March 2020 and 30 June 2020.

You cannot claim the instant asset write-off for this period if you have not received your vehicle by 30 June 2020.

Different eligibility criteria and thresholds apply to assets first used, or installed ready for use, prior to 12 March 2020.

Still scratching your head? The below ATO examples* below should help clarify further (*names have been tweaked for fun).

Example one: Darryl and Debbie buy a luxury car

Darryl and Debbie run Downit Wines, a small winery and vineyard business on Tassie’s beautiful east coast.

On 27 March 2020, their business purchases an $80,000 luxury car that’s designed to carry passengers to and from the Hobart and Launceston airports.

Now, because it’s a car, the maximum amount they can write off is the car limit of $57,581, not $80,000.

But pump those brakes for a second.

It turns out they’ll only use the car for work purposes 60% of the time (and 40% personal), so they’ll only be able to claim $34,549 (60% of $57,581).

The business can’t claim the excess cost of the car under any other depreciation rules.

Example two: Darryl and Debbie buy a ute

It’s not all sommeliers and sipping at Downit Wines.

Darryl and Debbie also need some horsepower to supplement the hard yakka they do around the vineyard, so they bought a ute for $65,000 on 27 April 2020.

Now, the ute isn’t designed to carry passengers, has been set up with all the tools in the tray, and has more than a one-tonne load capacity, so the car cost limit of $57,581 doesn’t apply.

This means the business can claim a full deduction of $65,000 as an instant asset write-off (assuming the ute is 100% for work purposes).

Is your business eligible?

The expanded instant asset write-off scheme can now be accessed by businesses with an annual turnover of up to $500 million (up from the previous $50 million cut-off).

But remember: the vehicle must be used or ready for use by June 30, which is less than a month away.

So if you’d like help obtaining finance to purchase the vehicle before the EOFY deadline then get in touch with us today – we’re ready to put the pedal to the metal for your business.

Disclaimer: The content of this article is general in nature and is presented for informative purposes. It is not intended to constitute tax or financial advice, whether general or personal nor is it intended to imply any recommendation or opinion about a financial product. It does not take into consideration your personal situation and may not be relevant to circumstances. Before taking any action, consider your own particular circumstances and seek professional advice. This content is protected by copyright laws and various other intellectual property laws. It is not to be modified, reproduced or republished without prior written consent.

First home loan deposit scheme reaches capacity (for now)

, ,

The 10,000 guarantees available via the new First Home Loan Deposit Scheme have been filled or reserved, but for those who missed out there’s a second chance coming soon in July.

There have been 5,500 guarantees issued under the federal government scheme, while another 4500 borrowers have guarantees reserved in the coming months.

The scheme, which was launched on January 1, can allow first home buyers with only a 5% deposit to be eligible to purchase a property without paying for lenders mortgage insurance (LMI).

This guarantee gives first home buyers a leg up into the property market, as it can save you as much as $10,000 in LMI insurance.

Get ready for round 2!

Now, even though the scheme kicked off at the beginning of this calendar year, the next phase is set to begin when the new financial year ticks over on July 1.

And you’ll want to be organised when July rolls around.

Let us explain why.

The 10,000 spots in the scheme are broken up into two lots of 5,000 – one half for two major lenders (CBA and NAB), and one half for 25 non-major lenders.

If you’re interested in applying through one of the two major lenders, it’s important to note that they go pretty quick.

In fact, 3000 of these 5000 spots were reserved in the first 10 days of the scheme being launched back in January.

With that in mind, if you’re interested in applying for the scheme through a major lender you’ll want to get in touch with us now so we can start getting organised.

Are you eligible?

In order to be eligible, first home buyers can’t have earned more than $125,000 in the previous financial year, or $200,000 for couples (and both buyers need to be first home buyers).

There are also property price caps for different cities and regions across the country, which you can find out more about here.

Also, even though you may have a 5% deposit saved for a house, you still need to obtain finance approval from a participating lender.

And that’s where we can help.

We’re more than happy to run through the scheme in more detail and, if you’re eligible, help you apply for finance with one of the scheme’s participating lenders before places fill up again.

Disclaimer: The content of this article is general in nature and is presented for informative purposes. It is not intended to constitute financial advice, whether general or personal nor is it intended to imply any recommendation or opinion about a financial product. It does not take into consideration your personal situation and may not be relevant to circumstances. Before taking any action, consider your own particular circumstances and seek professional advice. This content is protected by copyright laws and various other intellectual property laws. It is not to be modified, reproduced or republished without prior written consent.

Goodbye stamp duty?

, , ,

The dreaded and controversial stamp duty tax could soon be a thing of the past, with calls for it to be abolished gaining momentum.

The Property Council of Australia is the latest body to add their voice to the chorus this month after both the NSW and Victorian state governments ramped up calls for stamp duty reform.

Axing the controversial tax is a key measure being proposed in the Property Council’s Seven Point Plan for Economic Recovery, released this week, to help kickstart economic recovery across the nation.

“Stamp duty is a terrible tax,” the Property Council’s chief executive Ken Morrison recently explained to the AFR, “every economic analysis puts it at the top of their list of worst taxes. For every $1 raised it does about 80c of harm.”

What is stamp duty and how much does it cost?

Stamp duty is a government tax on certain transactions, including when you buy a motor vehicle, an insurance policy, or for the purposes of this article: a piece of real estate.

In a nutshell, state treasurers and many economists want reform in this space because stamp duty is volatile – it rises during property booms and shrinks during downturns.

Now, how much it costs will depend on where you live, and the value of the property you’re buying.

Most states have stamp duty exemptions or concessions in place for first home buyers, but that doesn’t help out those looking to expand their property portfolio.

The tax also acts as a barrier to older Australians who want to downsize and unlock their wealth.

So how much does stamp duty usually cost? Well, as luck would have it, Domain just released a summary of the stamp duty costs for median-priced homes in each capital city:

Sydney: $49,586 (house) or $28,942 (unit)
Melbourne: $50,171 (house) or $28,328 (unit)
Hobart: $18,847 (house) or $15,351 (unit)
Adelaide: $23,663 (house) or $12,522 (unit)
Perth: $19,063 (house) or $10,679 (unit)
Canberra: $23,914 (house) or $9396 (unit)
Brisbane: $12,165 (house) or $4342 (unit)
Darwin: $4,868 (house) or $0 (unit)

Those figures are for non-first-home buyers who are purchasing established properties.

So what would replace stamp duty?

The NSW government is considering a broad-based property tax (aka land tax).

Victorian Treasurer Tim Pallas meanwhile, says a review of the state’s revenue base after the COVID-19 pandemic is needed, but he’s not sure that switching from stamp duty to land tax is the way to go.

“It’s a bit like a Mills & Boon novel: it might be satisfying and uplifting to read, but getting to that point without causing major trauma to the community is a very serious consideration,” he said.

Another option being floated by the Property Council is to replace stamp duty revenue by broadening the GST base.

What to do in the meantime?

As mentioned earlier in the article, most states and territories already have certain exemptions and concessions that apply when it comes to stamp duty, particularly for first home buyers.

Generally, it depends on the price of the property you have purchased, or if it was off-the-plan, as to whether you’ll be eligible.

And obviously, the less stamp duty you pay, the more of your hard-earned-money you can put towards your home loan deposit.

So if you’d like a hand figuring it all out please get in touch – we’re happy to help you crunch the numbers.

Disclaimer: The content of this article is general in nature and is presented for informative purposes. It is not intended to constitute financial advice, whether general or personal nor is it intended to imply any recommendation or opinion about a financial product. It does not take into consideration your personal situation and may not be relevant to circumstances. Before taking any action, consider your own particular circumstances and seek professional advice. This content is protected by copyright laws and various other intellectual property laws. It is not to be modified, reproduced or republished without prior written consent.