The ATO has enforced strict guidelines on tax deductions for rental property owner’s travel expenses.
As a rental property owner, you are not able to claim deductions for travel expenses relating to inspecting, maintaining or collecting rent. If you have already claimed a tax deduction for the cost of travel to and from your property in your 2018 return, you will need to request an amendment. The law change came into effect on 1 July 2017 and affects tax returns from 2017-18 onwards.
Exclusions
You may claim these travel expenses on your tax return if you are carrying on a rental property business or are an excluded entity.
An excluded entity is a:
Corporate tax entity
Superannuation plan that is not an SMSF
Public unit trust
Managed investment trust
A unit trust or a partnership, all of the members of which are entities of a type listed above
