If you’ve purchased assets for your business, remember that you may be eligible to claim an immediate deduction in your 2019–2020 and 2020–2021 tax returns under the instant asset write-off, which was recently further expanded.
From 12 March to 31 December 2020 inclusive, the instant asset write-off threshold for each asset increased to $150,000 (up from $30,000) for business entities with aggregated annual turnover of less than $500 million (up from $50 million).
To get it right, remember:
- check if your business is eligible;
- both new and secondhand assets can be claimed, as long as each asset costs less than $150,000;
- assets must be first used or installed ready for use between 12 March and 30 June 2020 (to claim for the 2019–2020 year) or from 1 July to 31 December 2020 (to claim for the 2020–2021 year);
- a car limit applies for passenger vehicles;
- if the asset is for business and private use, only the business portion can be claimed;
- you can claim a deduction for the balance of a small business pool if its value is less than $150,000 at the relevant date (before applying depreciation deductions); and
- different eligibility criteria and thresholds apply to assets first used or installed ready for use before 12 March 2020.