Private ruling: Commissioner's discretion to extend the two-year time limit to dispose of a dwelling
Date of advice: 18 June 2020
Published: August 2020
Ruling period: Ruling end date 30 June 20XX
Date scheme commenced: 1 July 20XX

Ruling: Q1: Will the Commissioner exercise discretion under subsection 118-195(1) of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 (ITAA 1997) and allow an extension of time to the two-year period? | A1: Yes. Having considered the relevant facts, the Commissioner will apply his discretion under subsection 118-195(1) of the ITAA 1997 and allow an extension to the two-year time limit until the settlement date.

Relevant facts and circumstances: The deceased (the Deceased) passed away. The Deceased left a will (the Will) appointing the Public Trustee of a state as the executor and trustee of the estate (the Trustee). According to the Will, the Deceased left all the residue of the estate, including the main residence owned solely by the Deceased (the Property), to their spouse (the Spouse), if the Spouse survived the Deceased by a period of thirty days. If that condition was not satisfied then the residue would go to children. The Spouse survived the Deceased by more than thirty days and thus became the sole beneficiary of the deceased estate. The Property continued to be the Spouse's main residence until the Spouse passed away. Only then did the Trustee become aware of the Deceased's death. Probate for the estate was granted and the Trustee immediately proceeded to sell the estate's remaining asset, the Property, which was at that point of time still registered under the Deceased's name. The property was sold for $XX and the sales contract was exchanged. The value of the property at the Deceased's death was $XX.

Relevant legislative provisions: Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 subsection 118-195(1)