Accountant for Real Estate Agents Melbourne — Tax Planning for Residential and Commercial Agents

Real estate agents are among Australia’s most entrepreneurial professionals — self-employed, performance-driven, and exposed to significant income swings. But commission-based income without the right structure is one of the fastest ways to overpay tax. We fix that.

Book a Consultation

★★★★★ 83 5-Star Google Reviews | Led by Mina Baselyous, CPA + Chartered Tax Advisor | Registered Tax Agent

The Tax Challenges Specific to Real Estate Agents

Whether you’re a residential agent, a commercial leasing specialist, or a sales principal, your financial situation has characteristics that a generic accountant rarely understands well enough to address properly.

Highly irregular income — Commission arrives in lumps tied to settlements, not in neat fortnightly amounts. A strong quarter followed by a slow one creates real cash flow and tax planning challenges.
Big years push you into the top bracket — A strong market can generate significant commission income. Without structure in place, you hand a large portion of that to the ATO at 47 cents in the dollar.
No employer superannuation — Self-employed agents are responsible for their own retirement savings. Most are not maximising this — and missing out on both the tax deduction and long-term wealth building.
Business expenses aren’t fully claimed — Marketing costs, vehicle expenses, photography, signage, CRM subscriptions, professional development, and home office costs are often underclaimed or incorrectly treated.
Wrong operating structure — Many agents operate as sole traders or through a simple company that hasn’t been reviewed as their income scaled. The cost of the wrong structure compounds silently.
Principals face additional complexity — Agency principals have practice revenue, staff costs, and often property investments alongside their own commissions. This requires a coordinated approach across all income streams.

What We Do for Real Estate Agents

Operating Structure Review

We assess your current structure — sole trader, company, or trust — and recommend the right setup for your income level, family situation, and growth plans. The right structure can save tens of thousands per year for a top-performing agent.

Income Splitting via Family Trust

Where appropriate, we use a family trust to distribute commission income to lower-income family members — significantly reducing the overall tax rate on a strong sales year. For agents earning $300K+, this is one of the most powerful tax tools available.

Bucket Company Strategy

When family members are already at high tax rates, we distribute trust income to a bucket company — taxed at just 25% — retaining profits to reinvest into property or other assets at a lower tax cost. The 25% rate applies where the company is a base rate entity, which a bucket company fed by commission income from an agency normally is.

Superannuation Maximisation

You’re responsible for your own super — and most agents are either not contributing enough or not timing contributions to maximise the tax deduction. We make sure the strategy is right and the deduction is taken.

Commission Income Smoothing

We plan around your settlement cycle — timing deductions, contributions, and distributions to reduce the impact of high-commission periods and avoid unnecessary spikes in taxable income.

Deduction Maximisation

Marketing, vehicle, home office, professional memberships, photography, technology, and training — we ensure every legitimate deduction is captured correctly and claimed in full.

Commercial vs. Residential — The Tax Picture Differs

Residential agents typically deal with individual buyers and sellers, some of whom are investors with multiple properties. Income tends to be transaction-driven with strong seasonal variation.

Commercial agents work primarily with business owners and investors — buying, selling, and leasing commercial premises. Deals tend to be larger, more complex, and the clients on both sides often have significant tax planning needs beyond the transaction itself.

In both cases, the agent’s own tax position requires active management. But commercial agents often have the added complexity of dealing with lease incentives, buyer mandates, and longer settlement cycles that affect when income is recognised and taxed.

We understand both sides and tailor our advice accordingly.

For Your Investor and Business Owner Clients — A Referral Partner You Can Trust

Many of your clients — particularly investors buying residential properties and business owners purchasing commercial premises — need proactive accounting advice. The transaction is the trigger. The tax planning conversation that follows determines how much of the gain they keep.

When your clients need an accountant, you want to be able to refer with confidence. Someone who will treat your client the way you treated them — professionally, promptly, and with their best interests at front of mind.

That’s what we offer. When you refer a client to us, they receive:

Advice on the right entity to purchase into — before the contract is signed
Investment property tax strategy — depreciation, negative gearing, CGT planning
Business owner tax planning for commercial property buyers
Prompt communication and a genuine advisory relationship

And when our clients are buying, selling, or leasing property — we refer to the agents and principals we trust.

What Our Clients Say

“Mina has changed not only my business structure, but my own mindset towards how I can run it more efficiently and effectively. He is always just a phone call away and gets back to me with exactly what I need to know.” — Bonnie Louise, Director, Infinity Care Group Australia

“As a mortgage broker, Mina referred a client to me for refinancing, resulting in substantial annual savings for the client. The collaborative approach demonstrates his commitment to holistic client outcomes.” — Manjula Ezra, Mortgage Broker

“I have no hesitation to refer clients to Mina — he is knowledgeable and strategic with his advice.” — Julian Barclay

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use a family trust as a real estate agent?
Yes — if you’re operating as a self-employed agent or through your own agency, a trust structure is often available and can be highly effective for income splitting. The specifics depend on your arrangement with your agency or franchise. We assess your situation and advise on what’s available.

What expenses can I claim as a real estate agent?
Marketing and advertising, vehicle costs (for property inspections, client meetings), home office, professional memberships (REIV, REIA), CRM and software, photography, signage, professional development, and more. Most agents are underclaiming — we review your position and identify what’s been missed.

How do I structure my super as a self-employed agent?
The concessional cap is $30,000 per year. Contributions are tax-deductible, reducing your assessable income. If you’ve had lower-income years previously, catch-up contributions may allow you to contribute more. We build this into your broader tax strategy.

What do my investor clients need from an accountant?
A depreciation schedule, correct negative gearing treatment, CGT planning when they eventually sell, and — critically — advice on the right entity to hold the property in before they buy. Introducing them to us early makes a real difference.

Do you refer real estate work back?
Yes. When our clients are in the market — buying, selling, or leasing — we refer to agents and principals we trust and have a working relationship with.

Ready to Work Together?

Whether you want to sort out your own tax structure, or you’d like to explore a referral partnership for your investor and business owner clients — let’s start with a conversation.