Private ruling: Holding costs on land
Published: October 2012
Ruling period: Year ended 30 June 2009 | Year ended 30 June 2010 | Year ended 30 June 2011 | Year ended 30 June 2012
Date scheme commenced: 1 July 2008

Ruling: Q1: Are you entitled to a deduction for interest and other holding costs on a block of land? | A1: No.


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. In Steele v. FC of T (1999) 197 CLR 459; 99 ATC 4242; (1999) 41 ATR 139 ( Steele's Case ), the High Court considered the deductibility of interest expenses incurred on borrowings to purchase land intended to be developed for income production. It follows from Steele's Case that interest incurred in a period prior to the derivation of relevant assessable income will be incurred in gaining or producing the assessable income in the following circumstances: · the interest is not incurred too soon, is not preliminary to the income earning activities and is not a prelude to those activities · the interest is not private or domestic · the period of interest outgoings prior to the derivation of relevant assessable income is not so long, taking into account the kind of income earning activities involved, that the necessary connection between outgoings and assessable income is lost · the interest is incurred with one end in view, the gaining or producing of assessable income, and · continuing efforts are undertaken in pursuit of that end. While Steele's Case deals with the issue of interest, the principles can also be applied to other types of expenditure including local council, water and sewage, rates, land taxes and emergency services levies. While you may have intended to build an investment property on the land, you have not made the continuing efforts to progress your intention and the period was so long that the necessary connection between the outgoings and producing assessable income has been lost. It is considered that the expenses were incurred at a point too soon to be incurred in producing assessable income from the property. Therefore, you are not entitled to a deduction for expenses related to holding the land.

Please check this edited version to be sure that there are no details remaining that you think may allow you to be identified. If you have any concerns about this ruling you wish to discuss, you will find our contact details in the fact sheet. | Relevant facts: You purchased a block of land in 200X with the intention of building an investment property. | Soon after, you cleared, levelled and raised the land. | Soon after purchasing the land, you accepted a job in another city which meant that you had to put your plans to build on the property on hold.