Private ruling: Shares - Cost base
Ruling period: Year ended 30 June 2010.
Date scheme commenced: 1 July 2009.

Ruling: Q1: Can you use the cost base belonging to your Employee Share Scheme (ESS) shares for the shares sold from your Computershare account? | A1: No.


Relevant legislative provisions: Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 Section 104-10 and Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 Section 110-25.

Reasons for decision: Summary: You cannot use the cost base belonging to your ESS shares for the shares sold from your Computershare account. CGT Determination Number 33 (TD 33) states at paragraph one, the following: "Where a disposal of shares occurs and those shares are able to be individually distinguished e.g. by reference to share numbers or other distinctive rights or obligations attached to them, those shares are identifiable; their date of acquisition and cost base will be a matter of fact." You have no discretion in determining which of the shares in your employer company that you sold; it is a matter of fact. The shares in your employer company that you sold during the financial year ended 30 June 2010 were shares purchased of your own accord, unrelated to your participation in your employer's ESS. These shares were sold from your own identifiable Computershare account, therefore you cannot substitute their cost base with the cost base belonging to your ESS shares.

Please check this edited version to be sure that there are no details remaining that you think may allow you to be identified. Contact us at the address given in the fact sheet if you have any concerns. | Relevant facts: You are employed by a certain company. | You participated in your employer's ESS. | A feature of the ESS is that contributions are deducted from your after tax salary and paid to a plan administrator, who then uses the contributions to purchase shares (in your employer company), 'acquired shares' on your behalf at market value each quarter. 'Acquired shares' are not purchased at a discount and are held on the participant's behalf by the plan administrator with a separate Securityholder Reference Number (SRN). | Under the ESS, your employer awards participant's at nil cost, shares known as 'matched shares' on a one for one basis to the number of 'acquired shares' held by the participant at the end of the holding period, (three years from acquisition of the 'acquired share'), provided the participant is still employed by their employer. 'Matched shares' are acquired at a discount and are also held on the participant's behalf by the plan administrator. | Acquired shares and matched shares are held on your behalf by the plan administrator and are held in the same account with the same Securityholder Reference Number (SRN). | You were allocated a certain number of 'matched shares' on a certain date. | You have also purchased shares in your employer company of your own accord that are not as a result of your participation in the ESS. These shares are held in your own Computershare account. | You sold a certain number of your employer company shares from your own Computershare account sometime during the year ended 30 June 2010. | You have included copies of, or website links to the following documents which are to be read with and form part of the scheme for the purpose of this private binding ruling: | · Your employer's - Annual Employee Share Scheme Tax Statement Summary - 1 July 2009 to 30 June 2010; | · Your Employee Share Scheme information guide; | · ESS - supporting document and information requirements for private rulings; and | · Sale of shares - supporting document requirements for private rulings.