Quick Look
Focus: How negative gearing affects the cash flow and tax position of a property investor.
Key Takeaways:
You’ve probably heard that property investors can “claim a tax loss” through negative gearing — but what does that really mean? And how much does it cost in real terms?
Let’s break it down using a real-world example. We’ll walk through a $750,000 investment property, looking at actual loan costs, rental income, expenses, and tax implications — so you can see what negative gearing looks like in dollars and cents.
Negative gearing is when your rental property makes a loss — that is, the annual expenses (including interest, maintenance, and depreciation) are higher than the rental income.
While that loss can reduce your taxable income and help with your tax bill, it doesn’t mean the investment is making money. You’re still out of pocket each year.
In high- interest rate environments, more properties are negatively geared — which makes it more important than ever to understand the cash impact and tax offsets involved.
Purchase & Loan Details
Property purchase price: $750,000
Deposit: $37,500 (5%)
Loan: $712,500 (95%)
Interest rate: 6.5% per annum (P&I)
Loan term: 30 years
Annual Costs
Property outgoings (rates, strata, etc.): $6,000
Landlord insurance: $1,500
Rental agent fees: $1,800
Loan repayments (P&I): ≈ $46,313 per year
Total costs (excluding depreciation): $55,613
Rental Income
$30,000 per year
Depreciation (non-cash deductions)
Fixtures & fittings: $10,000
Bricks & mortar: $4,000
Total depreciation: $14,000
Step 1 – Work Out the Cash Flow
Annual income: $30,000
Annual expenses (excluding depreciation): $63,420
Cash shortfall: $33,420
This is the real cash cost to the owner — even before tax savings.
Step 2 – Calculate the Tax Loss
Remove principal ($7,808) and add depreciation ($14,000) to the cash shortfall:
$33,420 – $7,808 + $4,000 = $39,612
Tax deductible loss = $39,612
At a 32% marginal tax rate:
Tax refund or saving: 32% x $39,612 = $12,478
Step 3 – Final Cash Impact
Cash loss: $33,420
Minus tax benefit: $12,478
Net cost to investor: approximately $20,942 per year
That’s about $402 per week out of pocket — even after the tax refund.
Warning: this is an example of a typical scenario to show how negative gearing works. Because every situation will have different levels of income, interest rates and costs, you must seek professional advice before proceeding with negative geared investment.
Negative gearing can provide tax benefits — but it still costs real money. In our $750,000 example, the investor is more than $18,000 out of pocket each year, even after tax savings.
If you’re considering this strategy, it’s important to run the numbers — and get help. Knowing your cash flow and tax impact up front can save you big headaches later.
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