Private ruling: Goods and services tax (GST) and sale of subdivided land
Date of advice: 14 August 2020
Published: September 2020

Ruling: Q1: Is the sale of subdivided land X and Y ('you') subject to GST? | A1: No. The sale of subdivided land by you will not be subject to GST. You are not making taxable supplies in relation to sales of the subdivided lots of land. Under section 9-5 of the A New Tax System (Goods and Services Tax) Act 1999 (GST Act), you make a taxable supply if: (a) you make the supply for consideration; and (b) the supply is made in the course or furtherance of an enterprise that you carry on; and (c) the supply is connected with Australia; and (d) you are registered or required to be registered. However, the supply is not a taxable supply to the extent that it is GST-free or input taxed Based on the information provided, your subdividing and selling of the subdivided lots of land do not satisfy all the requirements of a taxable supply under section 9-5 of the GST Act because: (i) your activities of subdividing and selling of the subdivided lots of land do not constitute the carrying on of an enterprise, and (ii) you are neither registered nor required to be registered for GST. Accordingly, your sale of the subdivided lot of land does not satisfy all the requirements of a taxable supply under section 9-5 of the GST Act, and are not taxable.

Relevant facts and circumstances: You are two individuals who are not registered for goods and services tax (GST) as individuals or as a partnership. You jointly own real property. You acquired a property on XX XXXXXXXXX XXXX. The area of the property was XXX Sqm. The property included a house and vacant land. The purchase was funded by a loan from the bank. You occupied the house on the property as your principal place of residence since you purchased it. The vacant land was always used by you for private purpose. You have not carried out any business on the vacant land. You are planning to demolish existing house and subdivide the property into two allotments. You will build a residential property on one lot for you to reside and sell other subdivided lot. You plan to fund the demolition and subdivision from your savings. You will sell one allotment in order to fund the building of your home. A minimal amount of work will be undertaken in order to prepare the subdivision of the land for sale. The only work to be undertaken will be done to secure the council approval for the subdivision of the land. There are no buildings on the new subdivided lots of land that are for sale. You advise that the disposal of subdivided lots of land will not be conducted in the manner of an enterprise but rather in the manner necessary for you to fund to build your residential house. There is no change of purpose or object for which the land is held. The level of activities undertaken for the subdivision will be minimal development work to meet the council requirements. The property has not been used to conduct a business. You do not have a documented business plan, and there is no organisation set-up for the subdivision and sale of the lot of land.

Relevant legislative provisions: A New Tax System (Goods and Services Tax) Act 1999, Section 9-5 | A New Tax System (Goods and Services Tax) Act 1999, Section 23-5 | A New Tax System (Goods and Services Tax) Act 1999, Section 40-40