Private ruling: Non-commercial losses
Date of advice: 25 November 2015
Published: February 2016
Ruling period: Year ended 30 June 20YY
Date scheme commenced: 1 July 20XX

Ruling: Q1: Will the Commissioner exercise the discretion in paragraph 35-55(1)(a) of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 (ITAA 1997) to allow you to include any losses from your primary production business activity in your calculation of taxable income for the 20XX-YY financial year? | A1: Yes.

Relevant facts and circumstances: You do not satisfy the $250,000 income requirement set out in subsection 35-10(2E) of the ITAA 1997. You operate a primary production business. You received Xmm of rain in the 2014 calendar year. One of the crucial months in the season is X where rain is necessary to develop the crops. The records show Xmm of rain for X, past records show that this is the third driest X in just under a hundred years. In the past you have yielded X tonnes per hectare. The low rain in the growing period resulted in a low yield.

Relevant legislative provisions: Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 Section 35-1. | Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 Subsection 35-10(2). | Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 Subsection 35-10(4). | Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 Subsection 35-10(2E). | Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 Section 35-55. | Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 Paragraph 35-55(1)(a).

Reasons for decision: Summary: For the 20VV-WW and later financial years, Division 35 of the ITAA 1997 will apply to defer a non-commercial loss from a business activity unless: • you satisfy the income requirement and you pass one of the four tests • the exceptions apply, or • the Commissioner exercises his discretion. In your situation, you do not satisfy the income requirement (that is your taxable income, reportable fringe benefits and reportable superannuation contributions but excluding your business losses, exceeds $250,000) and you do not come under any of the exceptions. Your business losses are therefore subject to the deferral rule unless the Commissioner exercises his discretion. The relevant discretion may be exercised for the income year in question where your business activity is affected by special circumstances outside your control. 'Special circumstances' are those circumstances which are sufficiently different to distinguish them from the circumstances that occur in the normal course of conducting a business activity, including drought, flood, bushfire or some other natural disaster. For individuals who do not satisfy the income requirement, the business activity must have been materially affected by the special circumstances, causing it to make a loss. In this context, the Commissioner may exercise this discretion for the income year(s) in question where, but for the special circumstances: • your business activity would have made a tax profit • the activity passes at least one of the four tests or, but for the special circumstances, would have passed one of the four tests. Having regard to your full circumstances, it is accepted that your business activity was affected by special circumstances outside your control. Further, it is accepted that: • but for the special circumstances, you would have made a tax profit • you have met one of the four tests or would have but for special circumstances. Consequently the Commissioner will exercise his discretion in the 20XX-YY financial years.