ATO posts review for online rentals

The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) is launching an extensive data-matching program to identify taxpayers receiving income from short term rentals. Information from online platform sharing sites for around 190,000 Australians will be examined to identify taxpayers who have left out rental income and over-claimed deductions.

In 2016, approximately 2.1 million individuals reported rental income of $42 billion.

The ATO will match data provided by online rental platforms and their financial institutions against ATO records to identify taxpayers not meeting their registration, reporting, lodgement, or payment obligations when renting out property on a short term basis.

The data collected will include income received per listing as well as listing dates, enquiry and booking rates, prices charged or quoted per night and other information.

There are a few simple rules rental property owners should follow to avoid making mistakes on their tax return.

1. Make sure you declare all your income. While the sharing economy has changed the way we do business, it hasn’t changed the ATO’s definition of income. Any income from renting all or part of a house or unit needs to be declared, even if it is just a one-off. There is no such thing as a rental “hobby”.
2. Only claim deductions for the periods your property is rented out or is genuinely available for rent. And if you are renting part or all of your main residence, you can only claim deductions for the time it was actually rented. If a property is rented out below market rates, for example to family or friends, deduction claims are limited to the amount of income earned.
3. It is important for all property owners to keep accurate records. This helps to ensure they declare the right amount of rental income and they have evidence for claims made.

Taxpayers or tax agents that have made an error or omission should contact the ATO as soon as possible. Penalties may be significantly reduced in circumstances where we are contacted prior to an audit. Maximum penalties can be as high as 75% of the tax shortfall.

Taxpayers contacted by the ATO will be given the opportunity to verify information collected from data providers before any compliance action is undertaken and will be given at least 28 days to clarify any information obtained.

Click to read more from the ATO or to discuss with an AGS Accounting professional please contact us today.