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Rental Tax Returns - now non-resident ... so confused

  • 12-01-2010 8:50pm
    #1
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 334 ✭✭


    Hi.

    I would be really grateful if someone could help me out with the following issue i have. I have read a lot about this but everything i read just throws up new questions and i need it to be clear and simple.

    I own an apartment in Ireland with my wife since June 2006. We moved out and rented it in June 2009 (so i checked and the stamp duty clawback doesnt apply thankfully). We left ireland also in June 2009.
    So when are we non-resident? It seems to me you have to let a year go by before non-residency can be determined as you have to be out 183 days in a year. Is that in a tax year or in a year from when left?
    We could have ended up going back after a few months (we left not knowing when or if we would return) so by just leaving you cant really be immediately declared non-resident. I assume if it applies by tax year then we are now non-resident for 2010.

    So the tenant has been paying rent (100%) as normal to my irish bank account using my irish address that has always been associated with my PPS number. Only family and friends are aware of us not being in the country. Everything is basically like we were there.
    I now have to do a tax return on the rental income I suppose.
    This is throwing up some questions i cant find clear answers on.

    Can the furniture we had in the apartment when we rented it be used as a depreciation expense (our original furniture and new bed we bought for it when renting)? Or does it all have to be purchased after the tenant moved in (in relation to pre-letting costs)? - this would seem crazy as all apartments then would be shown empty and with a promise of installing furniture if they sign the lease.

    What is the tax rate for calculating tax? Is it a flat 41% regardless or is it based on income and where is this income meant to be (ireland or foreign country)?

    I know now i have to get the tenant to withhold 20% and pay revenue each month and tenant gives me a R185 at the end of the year or I get a family member as agent to collect 100% from tenant, they give me 100% and they pay 20% to revenue in their tax return. Then i give them back 20% to cover that cost of this tax as it seems they are not allowed to withhold the 20% when passing the money to me. :confused:
    So if i went the tenant route, on my tax return is the rental income the 80% figure or the 100% figure (which i dont get)? And is the 20% then subtracted from the calculated tax in the tax return?
    Or if i went with the family member as an agent, do they then have to do a tax return and I do not have to do one? Or how does this work?

    Can the BER cert be added as an expense or is this a pre-letting costs that cant be added?

    As it was rented out in mid year I presume everything should be broken down by exact number of days (management fees, insurance, wear and tear depreciation etc.)

    If i change it so payment will be made to my agents account do I need to just ring the PTRB people to tell them this or do I have to do anything?

    Do you know of a clear example of the line items that need to be filled out on the tax return (for a non-resident landlord)? I couldnt find anything like that on the internet.

    Surely there are thousands who have gone through this and have left during part of a year.
    Either way I am at a big loss each month and having to pay extra tax is even worse.

    If someone was getting nearly what they pay in the mortgage (excluding managements fees and other costs etc) each month from rent would you expect to come out even or how much of a loss would you generally expect? How much rent above the mortgage cost would generally mean breaking even (excluding other variable expenses)?

    If i end up making a loss with no tax to pay, where can that loss be accounted for in the calculations for the next years return?
    Generally does anyone end up paying tax when they have the 20% withheld and is it generally mean a big loss?

    I would really appreciate some clear help and advice on this.
    Then Ill have to turn to looking into the thousand times worse US tax returns.


Comments

  • Closed Accounts Posts: 6 annoyedlandlord


    Hi,

    I just saw an accountant today to try and figure this mess out and to be honest am little the wiser!
    Yes, you can deduct for furnishing and depreciation, but from what the account said it is not a clear cut set of guidlines regarding what figure you use for the calculation.
    My advise would be to let an accountant sort it for you - they will go through allthe relevant deductions for reducing the tax bill that you are entitled to deduct and their fees can also be deducted. The advise and tax return for my case is E250/year, though this is a reduction as i know a friend of his. The rates seemt o be between E250 and E350.
    The tax rate is 20%. You will also need to declare and do a return in the country you are living, but will get credit for tax paid here in Ireland.
    The BER is also a deductable as is the new non-principal private resident tax, and any gas safety certs etc.

    This is one complicated mess we are both in - and is sooooo hard to get the right information. I've spent hours on the phone to revenue and get passed to various people - who never seem to have answers. The main websites for tenants and landlords don't seem to be kept up to date either, which is frustrating.

    Good luck!


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 334 ✭✭thenobody


    Hi.

    Thanks for the information and advice.
    It is so confusing because there is so many different things to consider.
    Although my impression was the BER cert and nearly certainly the NPPR tax (which i heard about one day before end of Sept) cannot be claimed as an expense. But you have been told differently. So again more confusion.

    And I read you can account for furniture and fittings - but from when bought. Everything is so vague. The sofa i bought in 2006 when i moved in is now being used by my tenants, so does this count (with depreciation only allowed over 5 years) or does it have to be a nicely bought present for the tenant?
    As you say, the landlord and other websites are so vague its hard to apply to a simple circumstance where someone moved out of their residence and left their stuff behind and not bang on January 1st and then decided to go travelling. that is definitely not rare.

    And whats that about doing a return for it here in the US too??? Ireland is ireland and here is here. Surely they are all separate.
    You say "will get credit for tax paid here in Ireland" - what if it all comes to a loss would i then have to pay tax here on my apartment in ireland too? Seems mad.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 71 ✭✭fontinalis


    If you are in the US any income earned in Ireland is taxable in the US. There is something called a foreign income tax credit or somthing like that. You don't get taxed twice but overall you end up paying the higher of the Irish or US atx rate.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 6 annoyedlandlord


    Afraid that you are liable to pay tax on your Irish income in US or in th UK like me. You are may not actually pay anything as your liability may be covered by what you pay in Ireland, but yeah - you may end of paying an account in Ireland and the US!!

    As far as i am aware the the BER and the NPPR are deductable, but since this will apply to the next tax year and we were dealing with a late 2008 one - then perhaps the accountant was not paying too much attention to those items. Who know????

    I found the accountant helpful in reducing my tax bill and knows all the relevant deductions, what is allowable and what is really taking the biscuit. He didn't need or take any of my receipts ,though i do have to keep them for a number of years in case revenue want them.

    Having tried to sort this out myself and found it desperately difficult - I'd advise to get an accountant. Tax = Complicated!

    I was always PAYE and found myself renting when i had to move for work - i hate being a landlord and hate the lack of clarity in the information. It does not seem to be an easy thing to do 'on the side'. I feel massively underqualified and inexperienced!!!!

    Again......good luck


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 334 ✭✭thenobody


    fontinalis wrote: »
    If you are in the US any income earned in Ireland is taxable in the US. There is something called a foreign income tax credit or somthing like that. You don't get taxed twice but overall you end up paying the higher of the Irish or US atx rate.

    Hmmmm......

    I just read the following "If you changed status during the year i.e. a dual status person, then for the period that you are a non-resident alien, you are taxed only on US sourced/ connected income while for the rest of the year , when you were a resident alien, you are taxed on world income."

    When i move to the US in June we then received our greencards. So therefore are we dual status? And therefore is the rental income from June on in Ireland to be considered on the US tax return ... and my job in Ireland for the first four months is kept only as tax to be considered in Ireland (PAYA) (ie. not part of the US tax return)?

    More confusion!!
    thanks


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 334 ✭✭thenobody


    Back to the rental questions

    So for the tentant withholding 20% option - is the rental income gross to me (on form 11) the 80% figure?
    If I use an agent does the agent declare 100% as rental income on their tax return and pay 20% and declare that as paid and then just simply pass on 80% to me?
    So either way as non-resident I am only going to get 80% of the rent. Government sticks its beak in and gets 20%.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 71 ✭✭fontinalis


    thenobody wrote: »
    Hmmmm......

    I just read the following "If you changed status during the year i.e. a dual status person, then for the period that you are a non-resident alien, you are taxed only on US sourced/ connected income while for the rest of the year , when you were a resident alien, you are taxed on world income."

    When i move to the US in June we then received our greencards. So therefore are we dual status? And therefore is the rental income from June on in Ireland to be considered on the US tax return ... and my job in Ireland for the first four months is kept only as tax to be considered in Ireland (PAYA) (ie. not part of the US tax return)?

    More confusion!!
    thanks

    I moved to the US almost 2 years and last year we had to do our 08 return last year. I had Irish income in 08, basically I was liable to US tax on all 08 income, my only Irish income was PAYE and you receive a credit in the US for Irish tax paid.
    US tax code is a pain, we got our return doen for $140, saves alot of headaches
    Check your immigration status, that may have impact as dual status may refer to US citizens.
    The below may help.
    http://www.irs.gov/businesses/small/international/article/0,,id=96433,00.html


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 334 ✭✭thenobody


    Thanks for the advise. So does all this mean you pay more tax on your Irish income? and in ireland I will pay more tax on my american income?
    Did you have to declare you had foreign (irish) bank accounts and vice versa? And in declaring this does it open you up to forking out way more money? Or just declaring means its just declared and no money is to be paid?


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 71 ✭✭fontinalis


    I didn't declare any accounts as they were just current.
    You MAY be liable to pay more tax, basically you get a credit for tax paid in Ireland, if the US tax rate is higher you pay the difference between what you paid in Ireland and what you would pay in the US.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 334 ✭✭thenobody


    Ah.
    Sure the US tax rate is well below the 41% in Ireland. Grand.
    Oh so what accounts are they talking about? I just have normal bank of ireland current account and same with PTSB. So are these sort of accounts not considered "foreign bank accounts"?
    And are they asking to declare income on the account? What do they mean? The 5c interest they maybe applied to the account?
    thanks


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 71 ✭✭fontinalis


    I assumed they were talking about interest bearing accounts with material income. I didn't bother with any of mine.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 334 ✭✭thenobody


    fontinalis wrote: »
    I assumed they were talking about interest bearing accounts with material income. I didn't bother with any of mine.

    No idea what that means so I guess i dont have it


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 71 ✭✭fontinalis


    thenobody wrote: »
    No idea what that means so I guess i dont have it

    Sorry, meant accounts that you earn alot of interest on.


  • Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 32,286 Mod ✭✭✭✭The_Conductor


    thenobody wrote: »
    Hi.

    I would be really grateful if someone could help me out with the following issue i have. I have read a lot about this but everything i read just throws up new questions and i need it to be clear and simple.
    thenobody wrote: »
    I own an apartment in Ireland with my wife since June 2006. We moved out and rented it in June 2009 (so i checked and the stamp duty clawback doesnt apply thankfully). We left ireland also in June 2009.

    Stamp duty clawback may not apply- however you have to declare that the property is no longer your Principle Private Residence to the bank. Your mortgage is then considered to be an investor mortgage (normally with higher interest charges) and you do not qualify for TRS (however you can claim 75% of the interest (for 2009) as an allowable expense when deducting costs before determination of taxable income).
    thenobody wrote: »
    So when are we non-resident? It seems to me you have to let a year go by before non-residency can be determined as you have to be out 183 days in a year. Is that in a tax year or in a year from when left?

    If you spent 183 days or more in Ireland in 2009 or an aggregate of 280 days or more in Ireland between 2008 and 2009, you will be regarded as tax resident for those tax years. For 2010- if you spend over an aggregate of 280 days in Ireland between 2009 and 2010- you continue to be tax resident. It makes a lot of sense to sit down and make sure you keep under the 280 day limit. Note- the midnight rule no longer applies.
    thenobody wrote: »
    We could have ended up going back after a few months (we left not knowing when or if we would return) so by just leaving you cant really be immediately declared non-resident. I assume if it applies by tax year then we are now non-resident for 2010.

    No- do not assume this. Go by the 280 day calculation I detailed above.
    thenobody wrote: »
    So the tenant has been paying rent (100%) as normal to my irish bank account using my irish address that has always been associated with my PPS number. Only family and friends are aware of us not being in the country. Everything is basically like we were there.
    I now have to do a tax return on the rental income I suppose.
    This is throwing up some questions i cant find clear answers on.

    If you are tax resident (you are for 2009)- do a regular tax return, declare the income, pay the taxes etc. For 2010- if you are no longer tax resident- you pay Irish tax on Irish sourced income less any witholding tax the person renting the unit, or the agent will have paid.
    thenobody wrote: »
    Can the furniture we had in the apartment when we rented it be used as a depreciation expense (our original furniture and new bed we bought for it when renting)? Or does it all have to be purchased after the tenant moved in (in relation to pre-letting costs)? - this would seem crazy as all apartments then would be shown empty and with a promise of installing furniture if they sign the lease.

    Its depreciated on a flatline basis. If you want to deduct the cost of the furniture and fittings- you supply the receipts for the furniture- and its depreciated on a flatline basis from date of purchase. If you bought it a year before letting the apartment- you loose 20% of the original price- and depreciate the remainder 80% over the following 4 years. (I.e. depreciation is on a flatline basis, 20% per annum, over a 5 year period).

    Periods of vacancy are irrelevant- its a flatline depreciation- however you can only use that portion incurred while occuppied as an allowable expense.
    thenobody wrote: »
    What is the tax rate for calculating tax? Is it a flat 41% regardless or is it based on income and where is this income meant to be (ireland or foreign country)?

    There is a special form to be completed for non-resident landlords: here

    Legally unless you have an agent- the tenant deducts tax at the marginal rate from the gross rent, and pays it over to the Revenue Commissioners on a monthly basis. At the end of the year- they furnish a statement from the Revenue Commissioners to the landlord- and this can be used to issue a balancing statement to the Landlord.

    If an agent is used- the agent has to set up a new PPS number for receiving the landlords rental income- and gets the credits that would normally have accrued to the landlord- were they resident in Ireland. Taxes are paid from the gross rental income after the normal allowable deductions, before the balance is remitted abroad.
    thenobody wrote: »
    I know now i have to get the tenant to withhold 20% and pay revenue each month and tenant gives me a R185 at the end of the year or I get a family member as agent to collect 100% from tenant, they give me 100% and they pay 20% to revenue in their tax return. Then i give them back 20% to cover that cost of this tax as it seems they are not allowed to withhold the 20% when passing the money to me. :confused:

    The agent *does not* simply hand over 100% of the rental income to you. You are liable to pay 41% tax + other taxes on any rental income (less allowable deductions). The 20% witholding tax a tenant pays to Revenue- is simply a portion of this tax. If you do not have a large amount of allowable deductions- you may have a significant tax bill on top of the 20% already paid.
    thenobody wrote: »
    So if i went the tenant route, on my tax return is the rental income the 80% figure or the 100% figure (which i dont get)? And is the 20% then subtracted from the calculated tax in the tax return? Or if i went with the family member as an agent, do they then have to do a tax return and I do not have to do one? Or how does this work?

    You calculate the total tax due- after taking any allowable deductions into account. You have your balancing statement from your tenant. You compare the total tax due- to the amount already paid by the tenant- and forward the difference along with the certificate to the revenue commissioners.
    thenobody wrote: »
    Can the BER cert be added as an expense or is this a pre-letting costs that cant be added?

    A BER cert is an allowable expense.
    thenobody wrote: »
    As it was rented out in mid year I presume everything should be broken down by exact number of days (management fees, insurance, wear and tear depreciation etc.)

    All costs incurred are your costs and not allowable as deductable expenses against rental income- other than for the period the unit is ocuppied. If it is ocuppied for 6 months- you gain 1/2 year allowable deductions (Management Fees/insurance/20% depreciation of furniture and fittings etc)
    thenobody wrote: »
    If i change it so payment will be made to my agents account do I need to just ring the PTRB people to tell them this or do I have to do anything?

    The Agent has to set up a new PPS number to handle the rental income. It is assigned any credits that would normally have accrued to you as an Irish tax resident- were you tax resident here- and has the usual obligations associated with a non-PAYE tax payer.
    thenobody wrote: »
    Do you know of a clear example of the line items that need to be filled out on the tax return (for a non-resident landlord)? I couldnt find anything like that on the internet.

    Not quite sure what you mean by 'line items'.
    You need to complete a full Irish tax return. It can be done online- but if you've never done one before I'd seriously advise getting a reputable firm of accountants to do it for you.
    thenobody wrote: »
    Surely there are thousands who have gone through this and have left during part of a year.
    Either way I am at a big loss each month and having to pay extra tax is even worse.
    thenobody wrote: »
    If someone was getting nearly what they pay in the mortgage (excluding managements fees and other costs etc) each month from rent would you expect to come out even or how much of a loss would you generally expect? How much rent above the mortgage cost would generally mean breaking even (excluding other variable expenses)?

    You pay tax at 41% on all rental income. 75% of the mortgage interest is an allowable expense- the other 25% is not. If you're only meeting mortgage payments- totally ignoring other costs- you have a large deficit.

    A simple example:

    I earn EUR100 rental income.
    I pay EUR100 mortgage.
    My tax bill is EUR41
    However- I have EUR75 of allowable expenses
    So- I owe 41% of EUR25- i.e. a tax bill of EUR10.25

    You can add in other allowable deductions into the above equation- its only a very simple example, but you get the picture?
    thenobody wrote: »
    If i end up making a loss with no tax to pay, where can that loss be accounted for in the calculations for the next years return? Generally does anyone end up paying tax when they have the 20% withheld and is it generally mean a big loss?

    Even in the current climate I've paid income tax on rental income consistently for several years running. Just because you make a loss- does not mean you do not have tax to pay....... Whether the 20% witholding tax is sufficient or not- depends entirely on your allowable deductions- if you've a large mortgage- the interest component of deductions should be massive (but note- you are not entitled to TRS- and if you do claim it, or forget to stop claiming it- you are commiting tax fraud).
    thenobody wrote: »
    I would really appreciate some clear help and advice on this.
    Then Ill have to turn to looking into the thousand times worse US tax returns.

    Hope I've helped.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 334 ✭✭thenobody


    Thanks a million for your post smccarrick.
    It does help a lot.
    Confuses me more though a bit but helps a lot. Some lawyer speak there though.

    When we rented the apartment we stopped the TRS so we are ok there.

    In 2009 we spent a bit over 183 days out of the country. In 2008 in Ireland for about 340 days. So between 2008 and 2009 we its well over the 280 days you mention. So i guess we are tax resident for Ireland. I think though we can apply for split year residency assessment and may do that.
    No plans to go back to Ireland in 2010.

    Thanks for the tip on the depreciation.

    I dont want to bother the tenant with having to do tax returns and such BS so may go the agent way.
    But my bank account is in Ireland and everything is in Ireland and the money is kept in Ireland, could I just not pay the 20% tax and leave the agent out instead of them just being a middle person to pass the money to me?

    So if i appoint a family member as agent they have to the full rental income return for me. I do nothing. Is that correct? Or do I do the return the same as in the tenant case? And what is my gross rental income then? The 80% given to me or the full 100%?
    So if there is a new PPS number would my family member then have to do their own personal tax return and then a second one for the PPS number associated with this mess? Or what do they fill out?

    thanks for the example.
    So to expand it more realistically

    Per month say the regulars are:
    I get 1000 rent
    Pay 950 mortgage
    Pay 130 management fee
    Pay 35 mortgage protection
    Pay 10 insurance
    Therefore a loss of 125 euro per month.
    Say mortgage interest is 100 - have no idea how to calculate this?
    So 41% of 725 = 297.25 tax to be paid
    So therefore my loss is 422.25 per month!!!!! :mad:
    For christ sake, and there are people saying the rents are too high and need to come down! That makes me mad. And ill probably have to reduce the rent later in the year anyway.

    And for a non-resident with 200 per month held back its an initial loss of 325
    Then it matters what the gross figure is to be used. Is it calculated on 1000 or 800??
    If 800 then loss is in fact 340.25 per month - assuming you just subtract 200 off the final tax payable figure.
    If 1000 the loss is 422.25 per month :mad::( - same as if was resident its just that you have a smaller tax bill at the end of the year and less money coming in year month though. So it all evens out but the figure is massive.
    Hope i got this right (well wrong and it should all equal 1c tax)

    That is huge huge losses landlords are hit with. Is 43% loss per month for renting an apartment typical for landlords out there?

    Im kind of going through it like this hoping it helps others out because there is nothing clear on the internet. All just too vague.
    Or is this just way off

    And as a joint owner with my wife does she need to do the same rental income tax return too?


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 334 ✭✭thenobody


    Well maybe the mortgage interest is higher.

    Another question. Sorry about these
    The fridge/freezer, washing machine, cooker etc can they be included in the wear and tear calculation?
    And even if they came with the apartment when we bought it?


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 334 ✭✭thenobody


    Also found out that 20% is the tax rate for your total income up to €36000. Not 41%.


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