Rental property: Tax treatment for second hand items

[Knuttell]

Occasionally I will buy items on adverts or done deal for rental properties, maybe washing machine, microwave or toilet seat. I have not included them in the off set against rental income but wonder if I should or can?

 

[jpd]

If these are capital outlays, then they would be written of over 8 years - you get capital allowances of 12.5% to charge against the rental income when calculating rental profit for 8 years

A toilet seat would be not be a capital outlay, but a maintenance expense

 

[Knuttell]

Thanks for the reply, my question was more on the theme, would revenue accept print out of an ads that I have bought (,second hand items) with nothing but a link to a username as proof I actually purchased the item?

 

[Gordon Gekko]

They would. But maybe keep the emails/texts where you communicated with the seller? i.e. print them

 

[T McGibney]

Thanks for the reply, my question was more on the theme, would revenue accept print out of an ads that I have bought (,second hand items) with nothing but a link to a username as proof I actually purchased the item?

They would. But maybe keep the emails/texts where you communicated with the seller? i.e. print them

Operation Overkill on both counts.

Take dated photos of the items concerned and your own notes of what you paid for each.

 

[Gordon Gekko]

Operation Overkill on both counts.

Take dated photos of the items concerned and your own notes of what you paid for each.

I’m literally talking about screenshotting proof on your iPhone or the like.

A photo of a couch proves nothing.

It’s as much effort to screenshot an email or a message as it is to take a photo of a couch, but it carries more weight.

 

[freewheeler]

I’m literally talking about screenshotting proof on your iPhone or the like.

A photo of a couch proves nothing.

It’s as much effort to screenshot an email or a message as it is to take a photo of a couch, but it carries more weight.

 

[freewheeler]

Why not just ask the seller at time of payment for a simple receipt for the item, date of purchase, name of seller, amount paid ,adresse & contact of seller. You can have this already written out. So you just need the signature. Should not be a problem for seller.

 

[Knuttell]

A lot of buyers would not agree to that as would fear potential revenue query down the line or even an audit, or even thst they would owe tax....not worth it for them especially selling a 100 euro sofa etc.

 

[T McGibney]

A lot of buyers would not agree to that as would fear potential revenue query down the line or even an audit, or even thst they would owe tax....not worth it for them especially selling a 100 euro sofa etc.

Any supporting evidence you can muster will probably suffice, such as your idea of keeping copies of texts etc or mine of photos of the newly installed items in the property (maybe 'before' and 'after'). In practice no Revenue person is going to be worried about routine small-ticket items like these.

Obviously the more expensive the item or work done, the more important it is to have decent receipts etc.

 

[Knuttell]

Thanks all for helpful contributions.