Private ruling: Legal expenses
Date of advice: 7 January 2016
Published: March 2016
Ruling period: Year ended 30 June 2015
Date scheme commenced: 1 July 2014

Ruling: Q1: Are you entitled to a deduction for your legal expenses incurred? | 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 a loss or an outgoing to the extent to which it is incurred in gaining or producing assessable income, except where the loss or outgoing is of a capital, private or domestic nature. For legal expenses to constitute an allowable deduction, it must be shown that they are incidental or relevant to the production of the taxpayer's assessable income. Also, in determining whether a deduction for legal expenses is allowable under section 8-1 of the ITAA 1997, the nature of the expenditure must be considered ( Hallstroms Pty Ltd v. Federal Commissioner of Taxation (1946) 72 CLR 634; (1946) 3 AITR 436; (1946) 8 ATD 190). The nature or character of the legal expenses follows the advantage that is sought to be gained by incurring the expenses. If the advantage to be gained is of a capital nature, then the expenses incurred in gaining the advantage will also be of a capital nature. In Tax Determination TD 93/29 Income tax: if an employee incurs legal expenses recovering wages paid by a dishonoured cheque, are these legal expenses an allowable deduction under section 8-1 of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997? the Commissioner states that legal expenses incurred by an employee in recovering unpaid wages are deductible under section 8-1 of the ITAA 1997, as the expenses are directly incurred in the process of deriving payments of a revenue nature that are assessable. However, if legal action is not a claim for a revenue item such as wages, but instead is a claim for a capital payment, the legal costs will not be deductible. In your case you incurred legal expenses in relation to your entitlements under the insurance policy you held through superannuation. This policy is a superannuation product that includes provision of a lump sum payment for permanent disability. Such a payment is capital in nature. The taxation of superannuation payments is determined by specific legislative provisions rather than section 6-5 of the ITAA 1997, the general provision which assesses ordinary income. Superannuation capital payments, or parts of such payments, which would not fall under section 6-5 of the ITAA 1997 may nevertheless be included in assessable income by those specific legislative provisions. The fact that a capital payment is specifically brought to account as assessable income will not change the nature of the payment. That is, an amount that is capital in nature will remain capital notwithstanding that it is specifically included as assessable income. You incurred legal expenses in relation to medical reports following your injury. You subsequently received your entitlement under your policy. The payment received was a lump sum superannuation payment as stated on your PAYG payment summary. The payment was a lump sum received because of your permanent disability and is regarded as a capital receipt. Although the taxable element of your superannuation benefit is included in your assessable income, the superannuation benefit retains its character as a capital receipt. As the legal expenses were incurred in gaining a capital sum they will also be of a capital nature and are therefore not deductible under section 8-1 of the ITAA 1997.

Relevant facts: Following an injury, you made a claim for permanent disability through your insurance policy you held through superannuation. | You received a superannuation lump sum payment from your policy. | The payment received consisted of a taxed element and a tax free component. | You hired a lawyer to help prove your disability and to get your correct entitlement. You incurred legal expenses.