Private ruling: Work related expenses - travel- bulky tools.
Date of advice: 13 October 2016
Published: January 2017
Ruling period: Year ended 30 June 2016
Date scheme commenced: 01 July 2015

Ruling: Q1: Can a deduction be claimed in full for costs of flights incurred transporting equipment to and from work sites? | A1: 

Relevant facts and circumstances: You are a drill operator employed on a full-time basis. You reside in City 1 and work at City 2. You travel to your work on a Fly In Fly Out (FIFO) basis. You pay for your own flights between City 1 and City 2. You carry various work tools and safety equipment including ranging from 500gsm to 3kg. Lockers are provided at the worksite for equipment to be stored in. You have had safety clothing, personal items and tools stolen previously.

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 in gaining or producing assessable income except where the outgoings are of a capital, private or domestic nature, or relate to the earning of exempt income or a provision of the taxation legislation excludes it. Generally the expenses of travel to and from work are not deductible. This is either because such expenditure is private in nature, or it is not an expense incurred in gaining or producing assessable income. However, there are situations where it has been accepted that travel by employees from home to work is deductible as the employee is transporting bulky equipment. The question of what constitutes bulky equipment must be considered according to the individual circumstances in each case. In the case of bulky equipment, the cost is attributed to the transportation of the bulky equipment rather than private travel between home and work where the transportation of the equipment is essential and is not done as a matter of personal choice or convenience and there is no secure storage provide at the workplace. The Administrative Appeals Tribunal in Crestani v. FC of T 98 ATC 2219; 40 ATR 1037 ( Crestani's case ) found the taxpayer's toolbox measuring 25 cm * 28 cm * 57 cm and weighing 27 kilograms was bulky and cumbersome. In this case, the taxpayer was an aircraft engineer who worked at Sydney Airport. They transported their toolbox home at the end of each shift as there was no secure storage at work. The Tribunal held that the home to work travel was attributed to the transportation of these tools. The expenses incurred in transporting these tools were deductible and the taxpayer was simply one of these fortunate few who was able to hitch a free ride on his tool box. In Case 43/94 94 ATC 387, a flight sergeant with the Royal Australian Air Force was denied a deduction for the cost of transporting his flying suit and other items used for work purposes. These items were carried in: ● a duffle bag measuring 75 cm long * 55 cm wide * 50 cm deep and weighing 20 kilograms when packed ● a suit bag which weighed 10 kilograms when packed, and ● a briefcase-sized navigational bag which contained charts, work manuals and study materials. It was held that the mode of transporting the items was simply a consequence of the means adopted by the taxpayer to convey him to work. It was considered that the duffle bag was not of sufficient size or weight to impede facile transport. In your case, you carry your work tools and safety equipment when you fly to and from the worksite. Based on the information you have provided the work tools and safety equipment are not considered to be of a size or weight that would make their transportation difficult. Thus, the equipment carried is not considered to be of such bulk that it would change the primary purpose of your travel from one of transporting yourself to and from work to one of transporting the equipment. Therefore, expenses you incur in travelling between home and work are private in nature. Accordingly, the expenses are not deductible under section 8-1 of the ITAA 1997.