Private ruling: Volunteer expenses
Published: October 2013
Ruling period: Year ended 30 June 2013
Date scheme commenced: 1 July 2012

Ruling: Q1: Are you entitled to claim a deduction for expenses incurred in undertaking volunteer work? | A1: No


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

Reasons for decision: Summary: Section 8-1 of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 (ITAA 1997) allows a deduction for all losses and outgoings to the extent to which they are incurred by an individual in gaining or producing assessable income except where the outgoings are of a capital, private, or domestic natures, or relate to the earning of exempt income. A number of significant court decisions have determined that, for an expense to satisfy the tests in section 8-1 of the ITAA 1997: · it must have the essential character of an outgoing incurred in gaining assessable income, or in other words, of an income producing expense · there must be a nexus between the outgoing and the assessable income so that the outgoing is incidental and relevant to the gaining of assessable income, and · it is necessary to determine the connection between the particular outgoing and the operations or activities by which you most directly gain or produce his your assessable income. In your case you voluntarily gave your time and services to do humanitarian aid. You incurred travel expenses including, airfares, accommodation and food in relation to your voluntary work. You did not receive any assessable income for this work. Accordingly, the expenditure was not incurred in the course of gaining or producing your assessable income. You are therefore not entitled to a deduction under section 8-1 of the ITAA 1997 for the costs incurred by you.

Relevant facts: You work as a professional and volunteer to do humanitarian aid work overseas. | At the end of last tear you did 2 humanitarian aid trips, one to Country A and another to Country B. | These trips are undertaken using your annual and your own money. | You were not paid for this work. | You have incurred travel expenses relating to these trips including airfares, accommodation and food.