Private ruling: Interest income
Published: August 2013
Ruling period: Year ended 30 June 2013 | Year ending 30 June 2014 | Year ending 30 June 2015 | Year ending 30 June 2016 | Year ending 30 June 2017
Date scheme commenced: 1 July 2012

Ruling: Q1: Are you assessable on interest earned on a bond held for your relatives? | A1: No.

Relevant facts and circumstances: Your relatives migrated to Australia. As part of their visa application, they were required to set up a bond. The bond must be held in your name as the sponsor of the application. The funds for the bond belonged to your relatives. Any interest accruing on the bond is paid into your relatives' bank account.

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

Reasons for decision: Summary: Interest income is assessable under subsection 6-5(1) of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 as ordinary income. The person who derives the income is the person who is assessable for any tax on that income. In certain circumstances, interest income that is earned by a taxpayer through monies held in an account in their name may not be accountable for the tax on that income. This is the case in situations where the money is held in trust. Taxation Ruling IT 2486 discusses the issue of money held in trust for another person. The circumstances in each case must be considered when determining whose money it is. In your situation, your relatives provided you with funds that were placed in a bond account. The account is in your name, as was required under the terms of their visa. Any interest earned on that money is deposited into your relatives' account. It is considered that in this situation, the funds belong to your relatives and were merely held in trust by you, as sponsor, in accordance with the terms of their visa. As such, the interest earned on the bond is considered to be derived by your relatives. Therefore, you are not required to include this interest in your income tax return.