Granny flats are becoming more of a common feature of the urban environment. No doubt this is due to the ongoing and unremitting nature of the housing affordability crisis, and the relaxing of regulations about where and how they can be built. However, if you are thinking of constructing one, or already have one in place, you need to be aware of all the tax implications, and they can be very significant.

Buying a new home before selling your old one can raise tricky capital gains tax issues, but a key concession may allow both properties to be treated as CGT-exempt for up to six months. However, strict conditions apply, particularly if the old home was rented out, making it important to understand how the rules and related concessions work before making the move.

If you run a small business and sell it – or some of its asset(s) – and make a capital gain, the CGT “retirement exemption” may be invaluable to reduce or eliminate the tax payable on the gain. The funny thing is that you don’t have to retire to use the CGT retirement exemption.