INCOME FROM LETTING OF REAL PROPERTY

1. Letting of real property as a business source

Letting of real property is deemed as a business source and the income received from it is charged to tax under paragraph 4(a) of the ITA if maintenance services or support services are provided in relation to the real property.

Maintenance services or support services should be comprehensively and actively provided.

Example:

Suai Sdn Bhd owns three blocks of condominium consisting of 324 units and lets out those units to tenants. Suai Sdn Bhd provides maintenance services of lift, cleaning services, security services, centralized air conditioner and maintenance services of playing fields and car parks.

The letting of the condominium units is treated as a business source of Suai Sdn Bhd since maintenance services and support services are comprehensively and actively provided by Suai Sdn Bhd.

2. Letting of real property as a non-business source

The letting of real property is treated as a non-business source and income received from it is charged to tax under paragraph 4(d) of the ITA if a person lets out the real property without providing maintenance services or support services comprehensively and actively.

Example:

Unggas Property Sdn Bhd lets out one block of office building to a company. Unggas Property Sdn Bhd only provides security services.

The letting of the office building is treated as non-business source since Unggas Property only provides security services. Unggas Property Sdn Bhd does not provide maintenance services or support services comprehensively.

3. All real properties grouped as a single source

Several real properties which are let out can be grouped as one source whether as a business source under paragraph 4(a) of the ITA or a nonbusiness source under paragraph 4(d) of the ITA. If a person lets out several real properties in a year of assessment and the letting of -

a. all real properties is a business source, all the real properties can be grouped as one business source under paragraph 4(a) of the ITA.

b. all real properties is a non-business source, all the real properties can be grouped as one non-business source under paragraph 4(d) of the ITA.

c. some of the real properties is a business source and some is a nonbusiness source, income from both sources shall be assessed separately. The income from the business source and the nonbusiness source is assessed under paragraphs 4(a) and 4(d) of the ITA respectively.

4. Expense relating to income of letting of real property

An expense wholly and exclusively incurred in the production of income under subsection 33(1) of the ITA and which does not fall under subsection 39(1) of the ITA is allowed as a deduction from income of business of letting of real property charged to tax under paragraph 4(a) of the ITA.

5. Initial expense

Initial expense is not allowed a deduction from income of letting of real property assessed under paragraph 4(a) or paragraph 4(d) of the ITA since that expense is incurred to create a source of rental income and not incurred in the production of rental income. Examples of such expense are cost to obtain the first tenant such as advertising cost, legal cost to prepare rental agreement, stamp duty and commission for real property agent.

Example:

Sarah Property Sdn Bhd buys an office building on 1.9.2009 to be let out. The company incurs RM600 to advertise the letting of the building on 1.1.2010 and legal cost amounting to RM1,800 paid to Reganathan & Co on 12.2.2010 for preparing rental agreement. The building is let out commencing from 1.3.2010 without providing maintenance services or support services. The letting of the office building is a non-business source and the rental income is taxable under paragraph 4(d) of the ITA.

The advertising cost amounting to RM600 and the legal cost of RM1,800 are not allowed a deduction from income of letting of office building for the year of assessment 2010 as the expenses are incurred to obtain the first tenant.

6. Restriction on interest expense

If a person takes a loan for business purposes and to finance the purchase of real property that is let out, interest expense allowable against the business source has to be restricted under subsection 33(2) of the ITA. Interest expense on loan to finance the purchase of real property that is let out is deductible from rental income.

Need to apportional to the month of let out.

7. Capital allowances

If the letting of real property is treated as a business source, capital allowances can be claimed on capital expenditure incurred on plant and machinery. The provisions in Schedule 3 of the ITA relating to capital allowances shall apply to the business of letting of real property.

If there is a change in tax treatment of the letting of a real property from a business source under paragraph 4(a) of the ITA to a non-business source under paragraph 4(d) of the ITA in the basis period for a year of assessment, the person who lets out the real property has two sources of income from the same real property in that basis period, i.e a business source under paragraph 4(a) of the ITA and a non-business source under paragraph 4(d) of the ITA. If as a result of the change:

a. a company becomes an investment holding company (IHC), the rental income (business source) would be assessed as income under paragraph 4(d) of the ITA. Therefore, the company is not entitled to claim for capital allowances on plant and machinery since they are not used for the purpose of a business at the end of the basis period for that year of assessment.

b. a company does not become an IHC, the company still derives rental income under paragraph 4(a) and 4(d) of the ITA in respect of the real property. Even though the company is not an IHC, the company would not be entitled to claim for capital allowances on plant and machinery since they are not used for the purpose of a business at the end of the basis period for that year of assessment.

If more than one real property is let out and there is a change in tax treatment of any of the real properties from a business source under paragraph 4(a) of the ITA to a non-business source under paragraph 4(d) of the ITA in the basis period for a year of assessment, capital allowances can be claimed on plant and machinery for the real property which remains as a business source under paragraph 4(a) of the ITA.

8. Industrial building allowance

a. If a person owns a building lets out the building and the building is in used as an industrial building, industrial building allowance can be claimed by the owner of the building even though the letting is a non-business source.

9. Replacement cost of furnishings

If the letting of a furnished real property is treated as non-business source, cost of replacing furnishings such as furniture and air conditioner can be claimed as a deduction from gross income from that letting.

For more updated information, please refer to your tax consultant.