Private ruling: Residential property management
Published: November 2013
Ruling period: Year ending 30 June 2014
Date scheme commenced: 1 July 2013

Ruling: Q1: Am I in business - residential property management? | A1: No.


Relevant legislative provisions: Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 subsection 6-5(1) Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 section 8-1 Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 section 995-1

Reasons for decision: Summary: Section 995-1 of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 (ITAA 1997) defines 'business' as 'including any profession, trade, employment, vocation or calling, but not occupation as an employee'. Normally the receipt of income from the letting of property to a tenant(s) does not amount to the carrying on of a business ( Wertman v. Minister of National Revenue (1964) 64 DTC 5158; Federal Commissioner of Taxation v. McDonald (1987) 15 FCR 172; 87 ATC 4541; 18 ATR 957 ( McDonald's Case ); Cripps v. FC of T 99 ATC 2428 ( Cripps' Case ); Case X48 90 ATC 384; (1990) 21 ATR 3389). Whether the letting of property amounts to the carrying on of a business will depend on the circumstances of each case, ( Californian Copper Syndicate (Limited and Reduced) v. Harris (1904) 5 TC 159). Generally, it is easier for a company that derives income from the letting of property to show that it carries on a business than it is for an individual (paragraph 3 of Taxation Ruling IT 2423). A person who simply co-owns an investment property or several investment properties is usually regarded as an investor who is not carrying on a rental property business, either alone or with other co-owners. This is because of the limited scope of the rental property activities and the limited degree to which a co-owner actively participates in rental property activities. A conclusion that an individual is carrying on a business of letting property would depend largely upon the scale of operations. If rent was derived from a number of properties or from a block of apartments, that may indicate the existence of a business (paragraph 5 of Taxation Ruling IT 2423). The issue of whether individuals are carrying on a business of letting property has been considered in a number of cases, some of which are discussed below. In Cripps' Case , the taxpayer and his wife purchased, as joint tenants, 14 townhouses which they rented out. They also purchased a property which was used initially as a holiday home but was later periodically rented out. A further property was purchased for residential purposes. After a failed attempt to sell it, it was also rented out. The Administrative Appeals Tribunal found that the taxpayer and his wife were mere passive investors and were not in the business of deriving income from rental properties. They rejected the taxpayer's argument that he had greater involvement with his 16 properties. In 11 CTBR (OS) Case 24 (Case 24) , the taxpayer's income included rents from three properties. The taxpayer employed a manager and an accountant - he was principally a letting clerk with authority to refuse tenants. He collected and banked rents, attended to repairs and supervised them, and controlled the caretaker and cleaners. He kept books in connection with rents and repairs, and rates and other outgoings. The taxpayer said he personally carried out the principal part of the management of his rent-producing properties and directed policy, attended to the financial arrangements and made decisions regarding repairs. The taxpayer claimed that he was carrying on a business. In holding that he was not carrying on a business, a majority of the members of the Board of Review said: It is obvious that some measure of supervision and management must ordinarily be exercised by a property owner who lets offices, &c., and if that does not amount to the carrying on of a business, the fact that he employs others to assist him, either in the letting of the properties or in the preparation of the accounts relating to his rents and outgoings, will not make any difference. For the foregoing reasons we are unable to uphold the claim that the taxpayer is engaged in a 'business as property owner' ... . In 15 CTBR (OS) Case 26 ( Case 26 ) the taxpayer derived income substantially from her joint ownership of a block of flats (containing 22 living units) with her sister-in-law. A swimming pool was shared with a neighbouring block of flats owned by the taxpayer's husband and his brother. A garden was maintained and a staff of one caretaker and one cleaner employed on both buildings with casual labour as required. The building was erected and financed by F & Co., the husbands' of the joint owners, in the course of their business as building contractors. The general supervision of letting, rent collecting, servicing and maintenance was carried out by the owners or by F & Co. on their behalf. No charge was made by F & Co. for the extensive assistance given in the supervision of the flats. It was held that a business was not being carried on by the owners of the block of flats. On the other hand, Case G10 75 ATC 33 ( Case G10 ), the taxpayer owned two properties of which six units were let as holiday flats for short term rental. The taxpayer, with assistance from his wife, managed and maintained the flats. Services included providing furniture, blankets, crockery, cutlery, pots and pans, hiring linen and laundering of blankets and bedspreads. The taxpayer also showed visiting inquirers over the premises, attended to the cleaning of the flats on a daily basis, mowing and trimming of lawns, and various other repairs and maintenance. The taxpayer's task in managing the flats was a seven day a week activity. The Board of Review held that the activity constituted the carrying on of a business. Taxation Ruling TR 97/11 incorporates the general factors. Its principles are not restricted to questions of whether a primary production business is being carried on. In the Commissioner's view, the factors that are considered important in determining the question of business activity are: · whether the activity has a significant commercial purpose or character · whether the taxpayer has more than just an intention to engage in business · whether the taxpayer has a purpose of profit as well as a prospect of profit from the activity · whether there is regularity and repetition of the activity · whether the activity is of the same kind and carried on in a similar manner to that of ordinary trade in that line of business · whether the activity is planned, organised and carried on in a businesslike manner such that it is described as making a profit · the size, scale and permanency of the activity, and · whether the activity is better described as a hobby, a form of recreation or sporting activity. TR 97/11 states the indicators must be considered in combination and as a whole and whether a business is being carried on depends on the 'large or general impression gained' ( Martin v. FC of T (1953) 90 CLR 470 at 474; 5 AITR 548 at 551) from looking at all the indicators, and whether these factors provide the operations with a 'commercial flavour' ( Ferguson v. FC of T (1979) 37 FLR 310 at 325; 79 ATC 4261 at 4271; (1979) 9 ATR 873 at 884). However, the weighting to be given to each indicator may vary from case to case. Page 5 of the Rental properties 2013 (NAT 1729-6.2013) publication provides the following example of taxpayers considered to be carrying on a rental property business: ... the D'Souzas, own a number of rental properties, either as joint tenants or tenants in common. They own eight houses and three apartment blocks, each block comprising six residential units - a total of 26 properties. The D'Souzas actively manage all of the properties They devote a significant amount of time - an average of 25 hours per week each - to these activities. They undertake all financial planning and decision making in relation to the properties. They interview all prospective tenants and conduct all of the rent collections. They carry out regular property inspections and attend to all of the everyday maintenance and repairs themselves or organise for them to be done on their behalf. Apart from income Mr D'souza earns from shares, they have no other sources of income. The D'Souzas are carrying on a rental property business. This is demonstrated by: · the significant size and scale of the rental property activities · the number of hours the D'Souzas spend on the activities · the D'Souzas' extensive personal involvement in the activities, and · the business-like manner in which the activities are planned, organised and carried on. As shown in the legal cases and the views of the Commissioner listed above, the indicators with the greatest weighting are the scale or volume of operations and the repetition and regularity of the activities. | Detailed Reasoning - Significant commercial purpose: The 'significant commercial purpose or character' indicator is closely linked to the other indicators and is a generalisation drawn from the interaction of the other indicators. It is particularly linked to the size and scale of activity, the repetition and regularity of activity and the profit indicators. There are currently several buildings being let with an intention to increase these holdings. | Detailed Reasoning - Intention of the taxpayer: The carrying on of a business is not a matter merely of intention, it is a matter of activity. It is appropriate to look at when the activities started and whether they add up to more than a mere intention to conduct a business. You have been investing in residential properties for several years. You oversee the running and maintenance of the properties. | Detailed Reasoning - Prospect of profits: The taxpayer's involvement in the business activity should be motivated by wanting to make a tax profit and the taxpayer's activities should be conducted in a way that facilitates this. This will require examining whether objectively there is a real prospect of making such a profit from participating in the business of the taxpayer. You have several properties with an intention to increase this number and you make a profit each year. | Detailed Reasoning - Repetition and regularity: The taxpayer's activities should involve repetition and regularity and have an air of permanence about them. With regards to letting of properties, repetition and regularity may be measured by factors such as regularity of maintenance, collecting of rent, management and advertising of the properties, insurance, dealing with tenancy agreements and inspection reports. You oversee the management and maintenance of the property. The level of repetition and regularity of the activity is not as great as that noted in Case G10. However, in contrast to the other cases noted above your involvement is similar to those circumstances noted in Case 26 where the property owners were not considered to be carrying on a business of letting properties. | Detailed Reasoning - Activities of the same kind and carried on in a similar manner to those of the ordinary trade in that line of business: If a taxpayer carries out their activity in a manner similar to other taxpayers in the industry, it is more likely that their activity amounts to the carrying on of a business. That is, the taxpayer's operations are of the same kind and carried on in the same way as those characteristic of ordinary trading in that particular line of business ( IR Commissioners v. Livingston 11 TC 538). This indicator requires a comparison between the activities of the taxpayer in question and those undertaken by a person in business in the same type of industry. Where the taxpayer's activities are similar in nature to the business, further support is given to the fact that a business exists. Generally, where the property owners grant exclusive possession of the property to the residents the relationship between the two parties is one of tenant and landlord, and the activity is more likely to be passive investment rather than a business. Similarly, activities constituting the mere maintenance of an asset and the mere collection of income do not indicate the existence of a business of renting premises. You are renting residential properties at market rates therefore the relationship is that of a landlord and tenant. | Detailed Reasoning - Organisation in a business-like manner, the keeping of books, records and the use of a system: The activities conducted by, or on behalf of the taxpayer, should be carried out in a systematic and organised manner. This will usually involve matters such as the keeping of appropriate business records by the taxpayer. If the activities are carried out on the taxpayer's behalf by someone else, there should be regular reports provided to the taxpayer on the results of those activities. | Detailed Reasoning - The size and scale of the activity: The business should be large enough to make it commercially viable. In Cripps' Case , it was held that the renting of 14 two storey townhouses was not a business and in McDonald 's Case it was held that the letting of two units in different strata plans was also not a business. Similarly in Cases 24 and 26 the renting of 22 units and three properties respectively was also not considered a business. The scale of your activities and volume of operations can be aligned and compared to these cases as you have several premises for rent. | Detailed Reasoning - Hobby or recreation: The activity does not have the nature of a hobby or recreational pursuit. The nature of your activity is similar to other rental property owners who are actively involved in some aspect of the property they own. | Detailed Reasoning - Conclusion: In your situation, the Commissioner considers that you are not carrying on a business of rental properties. You derive rental income from several rental premises. Whilst you perform activities required for the managing and maintenance of the property, the undertaking of managing and maintenance, level of involvement, scale of activity and volume of operation in the activity is not as great as that noted in Case G10 . However, the circumstances surrounding the managing and maintenance of the property are similar to the owners noted in Case 26. After weighing up the relative business indicators and objective facts surrounding the case it is considered that you are not carrying on a business of residential property management.

There was substantial initial capital investment in these properties. | The intention is to convert the properties into multiple rental dwellings. | You are involved in the running and maintenance of the properties. The intention will be to keep up this level of involvement for all future properties that are added to the portfolio. The extent of the involvement is as follows: | · Collection of rents/accounting - one hour per month | · Payment of expenses - one hour per week | · Constant communication with local real estate agent to bring in tourists | · Purchase regularly property investor magazines | · Research property magazines/local newspaper paper/intended sites - four hours per week | · Organising repairs - one hour per month | · Monitoring capital improvements through agent | · Routine inspections - one day per month | Additional points are as follows: | · You enlist the help of Real Estate Agents to collect rent for certain properties due to location. | · You screen all potential tenants and make the final decisions. | · You reconcile all monthly statements and inspection reports. | · You pay all the rates, water and insurance on every property and body corporate fees where relevant. You see to all repairs and maintenance on the self-managed properties and work in conjunction with the property managers. All repairs and maintenance are authorised by them. | · You spend many hours a month gathering and entering the rent, paying the associated bills, reconciling accounts, redoing leases, inspecting properties, getting smoke alarms tested, getting quotes, following up upon repairs, solving disputes between neighbours and tenants. Additional time is required when a property is re-tenanted. Needing to interview prospective tenants, check references, draw up and execute leases, hand over keys, inspect house/unit when previous tenants vacate, cleaning of properties, refund bond and other associated jobs. | · You organise all quotes for repairs and maintenance on all properties. | · You monitor capital improvements and request a bank valuation when required to reassess your borrowing and Loan to Valuation Ratio. Annually you call real-estate agents to get a realistic valuation to monitor growth and at every lease renewal discuss the rental market generally in that area. This is required to determine whether rentals charged are within market rates. | · Routine inspections are carried out periodically by the Real Estate agents and you receive a detailed report that indicates any repairs or maintenance that is needed, and you then action. You carry out routine inspections on all properties. | Profit making purpose: Currently the property investment business produces good rental income and the addition of the multiple dwellings will increase this return. | Size of the operations: The portfolio is significant and through your expertise and skill you expect it to expand. | Existence of business records: The business records are professionally produced and outsourced to your accountant and property managers. | Activities being carried on in a business-like manner: All records are stored at your residence. | Existence of employees: Currently there are no employees. All required operations of the property investment business are managed by you. | Existence of commercial premises: Currently there is no commercial premises required as you do not need the advertising space or walk through traffic as everything is completed on the internet. | Use of specialised knowledge: You have had many years' experience in sourcing and managing residential property. Your business model has been to source undervalued properties. You have minimised the business risk by diversifying across regions and intend to significantly increase value to the properties through redevelopment and renovation.