Private ruling: WRE - Self Education Expenses
Date of advice: 10 October 2017
Published: March 2018
Ruling period: Year ended 30 June 2015 | Year ended 30 June 2016 | Year ended 30 June 2017 | Year ended 30 June 2018
Date scheme commenced: DDMMYY

Ruling: Q1: Are your self-education expenses for a course, allowable deductions with respect to having sufficient connection with producing your assessable income? | A1: Yes Section 8-1 of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 allows a deduction for all losses and outgoings to the extent to which they are incurred in gaining or producing assessable income except where the outgoings are of a capital, private or domestic nature, or relate to the earning of exempt income. You have established a sufficient connection to your current position as an “Engineer Design” and your study. In accordance with the ATO view contained in Taxation Ruling TR 98/9 Income tax: deductibility of self-education expenses incurred by an employee or a person in business , your self-education expenses for the Master of Engineering Management and Master of Business Administration course are allowable deductions.

Relevant facts and circumstances: You are a full time permanent employee. You enrolled into a course. Your director and manager highly encouraged your enrolment into this course. You are in receipt of partial reimbursement from your employer per semester for financial assistance with the payment of course fees. You receive study assistances payments. You are utilising this study to be better equipped to undertake your current duties. ● Your duties include being accountable for providing profession engineering design advice, plans and reports. ● Project manage internal and external resources to deliver outcomes in accordance with agreed specifications of the given project. ● Collaborate and communicate with team members to create an enthusiastic and motivated atmosphere where staff work with a sense of urgency.

Relevant legislative provisions: Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 section 8-1