Property Tax Specialist

Hong Kong Rental Income Tax — Property Tax Made Simple

HK property tax is charged at a flat 15% on net assessable value — but the rules around deductions, mortgage interest, jointly owned properties, and the personal assessment election can make a significant difference to what you actually pay.

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15% Standard property tax rate
20% Statutory deduction for repairs
HKD 100K+ Average tax saved via personal assessment

Property Tax Specialist

HK property tax is charged at a flat 15% on net assessable value — but the rules around deductions, mortgage interest, jointly owned properties, and the personal assessment election can make a significant difference to what you actually pay.

⚠️

⚠ Many HK Landlords Miss the Personal Assessment Election

Property tax is charged at a flat 15%. But if you have a mortgage or other losses, electing Personal Assessment consolidates all your income under salaries tax rates, allowing mortgage interest as a deduction. At lower income levels, this can reduce your effective tax rate substantially — yet most landlords never make this election.

Common Challenges

Are you facing these tax issues?

Calculating Net Assessable Value

Property tax is assessed on your rental income less rates paid by you and less a 20% statutory allowance. Getting this wrong means either overpaying or underpaying.

⚠ Risk: Incorrect NAV → IRD assessment + interest

Mortgage Interest Deduction

Under property tax alone, mortgage interest is NOT deductible. You must elect Personal Assessment to claim mortgage interest against rental income.

⚠ Risk: Paying 15% flat rate instead of effective 5–10% → significant overpayment

Joint Ownership Complications

Co-owners must each declare their proportionate share of rental income, and the election for Personal Assessment must be made individually.

⚠ Risk: Incorrect share reporting → IRD query on both parties

Tenancy Agreement Compliance

All tenancy agreements should be stamped (Stamp Duty) and deposits correctly treated — IRD cross-checks stamp duty records against property tax returns.

⚠ Risk: Unstamped tenancy → Stamp Duty penalty + tax inquiry
Who It's For

Who This Service Is For

HK residents renting out a property

Individuals renting out one or more HK properties and receiving assessable rental income.

Landlords with mortgages on rental properties

Those paying mortgage interest who should be electing Personal Assessment to claim that interest.

Joint property owners

Co-owners navigating the proportionate income declaration requirements.

Expatriates with HK investment properties

Non-residents owning HK property and earning rental income subject to HK property tax.

Landlords with multiple properties

Portfolio landlords needing consolidated tax planning across multiple rental units.

Accidental landlords

Owners who inherited property or moved overseas and are now renting out their former home.

Our Services

What We Cover

Net Assessable Value Calculation

We calculate your NAV correctly — rental income less rates, less 20% statutory deduction.

Including treatment of premiums, deposits, and fitting-out contributions

Personal Assessment Election

We assess whether Personal Assessment saves you tax and file the election (BIR60 with elected boxes) accordingly.

Critical for landlords with mortgages or employment losses

Property Tax Return Filing

We complete and file your BIR57 (or BIR58 for jointly owned property) accurately and on time.

Including all supporting schedules for multiple properties

Stamp Duty Compliance

We verify your tenancy agreements are correctly stamped and advise on stamp duty rates.

Ad valorem stamp duty on leases based on annual rent

Property Tax vs Profits Tax Review

For landlords operating at scale, we review whether a corporate structure is more tax-efficient.

Particularly relevant for 3+ properties or HKD 2M+ annual rent
How It Works

Simple, efficient, professional

1

Rental Income Review

We collect tenancy agreements, rental receipts, rates bills, and mortgage statements.

1 day
2

NAV Calculation & Election Analysis

We calculate your property tax liability and model the Personal Assessment alternative.

1–2 days
3

Return Preparation

We prepare BIR57/BIR58 and any accompanying BIR60 election, with full workings provided.

2–3 days
4

Filing & IRD Liaison

We file your return and respond to any IRD queries or assessments on your behalf.

As required
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Client Success Stories

Real results for real clients

Case Study

Salaried professional with one mortgaged rental property

HKD 67,500 Saved
  • Annual rent received HKD 300,000
  • Mortgage interest paid HKD 120,000
  • Without Personal Assessment: tax HKD 36,000
  • With Personal Assessment: tax HKD 0 (losses absorbed)
"I never knew about Personal Assessment. TAX.hk saved me the entire property tax bill."
C
Verified Client Case Study
Case Study

Portfolio landlord with 3 HK properties

HKD 112,000 Saved
  • Total annual rent HKD 840,000
  • Mortgage interest across all 3 properties HKD 380,000
  • Correct NAV calculations filed
  • Personal Assessment election reduced effective rate to 8.2%
"The mortgage interest deduction through Personal Assessment transformed my after-tax rental yield."
C
Verified Client Case Study
★★★★★ 2,400+ clients trust our team
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Free Expert Consultation

Speak with a senior tax specialist today

  • Free 30-min initial consultation
  • Senior CPA assigned to your case
  • No obligation — cancel anytime
HKICPA Registered 24-Hour Response No Obligation

Your information is kept strictly confidential.

Why Choose Us

Why Choose TAX.hk

Deep HK Tax Expertise

Our CPAs have 15+ years of HK tax experience and keep current with every IRD update.

Transparent Fixed Fees

No hourly billing surprises. Know your cost upfront before we start.

24-Hour Response

We respond to all enquiries within one business day. Urgent cases within 4 hours.

Strict Confidentiality

All client information is held under strict professional duty of confidentiality.

FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

Quick answers to your questions

Under s.5B of the IRO, a standard 20% deduction is allowed from your net rental income (after rates deduction) to cover repairs, insurance, and management expenses. You do not need to prove actual costs — the 20% is allowed automatically. This means effective property tax on gross rent is approximately 12% (15% × 80%).
Not under property tax itself — the IRO does not allow mortgage interest as a deduction from property tax assessable value. However, if you elect Personal Assessment, your rental income is assessed alongside your other income under salaries tax rates, and mortgage interest on the rental property becomes deductible. This is usually more beneficial for mortgaged properties.
If your tenant pays the rates directly to the Rating and Valuation Department, they are excluded from your rental income calculation. If you collect rates as part of the rent, you deduct the rates element from your gross rental income to arrive at the figure before the 20% statutory deduction.
Each co-owner declares their 50% share of the rental income in their individual property tax return. Each person can independently elect Personal Assessment based on their own circumstances. We coordinate joint returns to ensure both owners' positions are consistent and optimally structured.
Only the period when the property was rented generates assessable rental income. Vacant periods do not give rise to a tax liability, but you should be able to demonstrate the vacancy (e.g., estate agent records, utility bills showing low or no usage) if queried by the IRD.

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This page provides general information only. For advice specific to your situation, please consult a qualified Hong Kong tax professional.