The national rental affordability scheme (NRAS) started on 1 July 2008, encouraging large-scale investment in affordable housing. It offers tax and cash incentives to providers of new dwellings for 10 years, granted they are rented to low and moderate income households at 20% below market rates.

Though the NRAS is no longer taking new investments, property owners within the scheme will soon be receiving letters from the ATO to remind them of their claim requirements.

The two key elements of the NRAS are;

• An Australian Government contribution in the form of a refundable tax offset or direct payment to the value of $8,394.10 per dwelling per year in 2018-19. The Australian Government contribution is 75% of the total annual incentive.
• A state or territory contribution in the form of direct financial support or an in-kind contribution to the value of at least $2,798.03 per dwelling per year in 2018-19. The state or territory contribution is 25% of the total annual incentive.

Owners of NRAS rental property are eligible to claim a refundable tax offset if:

• The Approved Participant has provided them with advice of their entitlement based on the certificate received from the Housing Secretary, and;
• The claim is made in the year to which the certificate relates.

Deductions can be claimed for expenses incurred with a NRAS rental property, excluding the contribution amount received from the state or territory. The contribution amount is non-assessable, non-exempt (NANE) income for tax purposes.