Product Ruling PR 2024/19
Date of effect: 13 November 2024

What this ruling is about: 1. This Ruling sets out the income tax consequences for entities that participate as a Customer in the Prepayment Program (Program) offered by shareholders of National Rural Independents Ltd (Suppliers). 2. All legislative references in this Ruling are to the Income Tax Assessment Act 1936, unless otherwise indicated. Terms which are defined in the Prepayment Terms under the Prepayment Application form referred to in paragraph 11 of this Ruling have been capitalised. 3. This Ruling does not address: Who this Ruling applies to 4. This Ruling applies to you if you: 5. This Ruling does not apply to you if you: Requirements of the Superannuation Industry (Supervision) Act 1993 6. This Ruling does not address the provisions of the Superannuation Industry (Supervision) Act 1993. We give no assurance that the scheme is an appropriate investment for a superannuation fund. The trustees of superannuation funds are advised that no consideration has been given in this Ruling as to whether investment in this scheme may contravene the provisions of the Superannuation Industry (Supervision) Act 1993. 7. This Ruling applies from 13 November 2024, the date it was published, to a Customer specified in paragraph 4 of this Ruling that enters into the scheme from 13 November 2024 until 30 June 2027. 8. However, the Ruling only applies and may be relied on to the extent that there is no change in the scheme or in the Customer's involvement in the scheme. If the scheme carried out is materially different from the scheme described at paragraphs 11 to 15 of this Ruling, this Ruling cannot be relied upon and may be withdrawn or modified. 9. Subject to paragraph 3 of this Ruling and the assumptions in paragraph 10 of this Ruling: Assumptions 10. This Ruling is made on the basis of the following necessary assumptions: 11. The scheme is identified and described in the following: Note: Certain information has been provided on a commercial-in-confidence basis and will not be disclosed or released under freedom of information legislation. 12. For the purposes of describing the scheme, there are no other agreements (whether formal or informal, and whether or not legally enforceable) which a Customer, or any associate of a Customer, will be a party to, that are a part of the scheme. Overview of scheme 13. The Suppliers are independent store business owners that sell agricultural products and provide associated services to farmers. National Rural Independents Ltd act as a buying agent to assist the Suppliers (its shareholders) to source products for their customers. 14. The Prepayment Terms under the Prepayment Application form constitute an agreement between the customer of a Supplier (Customer) and the applicable Supplier. The Program is, among other things, designed to assist customer cash-flow management by enabling them to pay for Supplies during major agricultural sale periods. 15. Pursuant to the Prepayment Terms: Commissioner of Taxation 13 November 2024 Section 8-1 of the ITAA 1997  deductibility of the Prepayment Amount 16. A loss or outgoing is deductible under section 8-1 of the ITAA 1997 if it is necessarily incurred in carrying on a business for the purpose of gaining or producing a taxpayer's assessable income. The expenditure must be part of the cost of trading operations and must not be of a capital, private or domestic nature. 17. An outgoing incurred by a business will be 'necessarily incurred' where, in the circumstances, it is reasonably capable of being seen as desirable or appropriate from the point of view of the pursuit of the business ends of the business being carried on for the purpose of earning assessable income (see Magna Alloys & Research Pty Ltd v Commissioner of Taxation of the Commonwealth of Australia [1980] FCA 180). 18. Upon entry into the Program the Prepayment Amount is both immediately due and non-refundable such that the Customer becomes definitively committed to, and incurs, the Prepayment Amount. As the Prepayment Amount is incurred for the purchase of Supplies to be used in the Customer's primary production business, it constitutes expenditure which is clearly appropriate from the point of view of the pursuit of the business ends of the Customer's business and is therefore necessarily incurred in the carrying on of that business. 19. The Prepayment Amount necessarily incurred by the Customer to purchase Supplies in the course of carrying on its business is not of a capital, private or domestic nature. The deduction for the Prepayment Amount is allowable under section 8-1 of the ITAA 1997 in the income year the payment is made to the Supplier (that is, at the time it is necessarily incurred). Section 82KZM  prepaid expenditure incurred by certain small and medium business entities and individuals incurring non-business expenditure 20. Subject to paragraph 21 of this Ruling, section 82KZM operates to spread over more than one income year a deduction which, apart from that section, would be allowable under section 8-1 of the ITAA 1997 for the year of income in which the prepaid expenditure (other than excluded expenditure as defined in subsection 82KZL(1)) is incurred under an agreement by a taxpayer that is either: 21. Section 82KZM applies if the eligible service period for the expenditure is longer than 12 months, or the eligible service period for the expenditure is 12 months or shorter but ends after the last day of the year of income after the one in which the expenditure was incurred. 22. In relation to the Prepayment Amount incurred by the Customer under the Program, the eligible service period for the purpose of section 82KZM is the period to which the Prepayment Amount relates. That period is: 23. The eligible service period in relation to the deductible Prepayment Amount under the Program is 12 months or less. As it is not more than 12 months and does not end after the last day of the year of income after the one in which the expenditure was incurred, section 82KZM will have no application to Customers that (as assumed at paragraph 10 of this Ruling) are a small business entity (or an entity covered by subsection 82KZM(1A)) for the year of income and have not chosen to apply section 82KZMD to the expenditure. © AUSTRALIAN TAXATION OFFICE FOR THE COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA You are free to copy, adapt, modify, transmit and distribute this material as you wish (but not in any way that suggests the ATO or the Commonwealth endorses you or any of your services or products).

Class of entities or scheme: 13. The Suppliers are independent store business owners that sell agricultural products and provide associated services to farmers. National Rural Independents Ltd act as a buying agent to assist the Suppliers (its shareholders) to source products for their customers. 14. The Prepayment Terms under the Prepayment Application form constitute an agreement between the customer of a Supplier (Customer) and the applicable Supplier. The Program is, among other things, designed to assist customer cash-flow management by enabling them to pay for Supplies during major agricultural sale periods. 15. Pursuant to the Prepayment Terms: Commissioner of Taxation 13 November 2024 | Section 8-1 of the ITAA 1997  deductibility of the Prepayment Amount: 16. A loss or outgoing is deductible under section 8-1 of the ITAA 1997 if it is necessarily incurred in carrying on a business for the purpose of gaining or producing a taxpayer's assessable income. The expenditure must be part of the cost of trading operations and must not be of a capital, private or domestic nature. 17. An outgoing incurred by a business will be 'necessarily incurred' where, in the circumstances, it is reasonably capable of being seen as desirable or appropriate from the point of view of the pursuit of the business ends of the business being carried on for the purpose of earning assessable income (see Magna Alloys & Research Pty Ltd v Commissioner of Taxation of the Commonwealth of Australia [1980] FCA 180). 18. Upon entry into the Program the Prepayment Amount is both immediately due and non-refundable such that the Customer becomes definitively committed to, and incurs, the Prepayment Amount. As the Prepayment Amount is incurred for the purchase of Supplies to be used in the Customer's primary production business, it constitutes expenditure which is clearly appropriate from the point of view of the pursuit of the business ends of the Customer's business and is therefore necessarily incurred in the carrying on of that business. 19. The Prepayment Amount necessarily incurred by the Customer to purchase Supplies in the course of carrying on its business is not of a capital, private or domestic nature. The deduction for the Prepayment Amount is allowable under section 8-1 of the ITAA 1997 in the income year the payment is made to the Supplier (that is, at the time it is necessarily incurred). | Section 82KZM  prepaid expenditure incurred by certain small and medium business entities and individuals incurring non-business expenditure: 20. Subject to paragraph 21 of this Ruling, section 82KZM operates to spread over more than one income year a deduction which, apart from that section, would be allowable under section 8-1 of the ITAA 1997 for the year of income in which the prepaid expenditure (other than excluded expenditure as defined in subsection 82KZL(1)) is incurred under an agreement by a taxpayer that is either: 21. Section 82KZM applies if the eligible service period for the expenditure is longer than 12 months, or the eligible service period for the expenditure is 12 months or shorter but ends after the last day of the year of income after the one in which the expenditure was incurred. 22. In relation to the Prepayment Amount incurred by the Customer under the Program, the eligible service period for the purpose of section 82KZM is the period to which the Prepayment Amount relates. That period is: 23. The eligible service period in relation to the deductible Prepayment Amount under the Program is 12 months or less. As it is not more than 12 months and does not end after the last day of the year of income after the one in which the expenditure was incurred, section 82KZM will have no application to Customers that (as assumed at paragraph 10 of this Ruling) are a small business entity (or an entity covered by subsection 82KZM(1A)) for the year of income and have not chosen to apply section 82KZMD to the expenditure. © AUSTRALIAN TAXATION OFFICE FOR THE COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA You are free to copy, adapt, modify, transmit and distribute this material as you wish (but not in any way that suggests the ATO or the Commonwealth endorses you or any of your services or products).

Ruling: 1. This Ruling sets out the income tax consequences for entities that participate as a Customer in the Prepayment Program (Program) offered by shareholders of National Rural Independents Ltd (Suppliers). 2. All legislative references in this Ruling are to the Income Tax Assessment Act 1936, unless otherwise indicated. Terms which are defined in the Prepayment Terms under the Prepayment Application form referred to in paragraph 11 of this Ruling have been capitalised. 3. This Ruling does not address: | Who this Ruling applies to: 4. This Ruling applies to you if you: 5. This Ruling does not apply to you if you: | Requirements of the Superannuation Industry (Supervision) Act 1993: 6. This Ruling does not address the provisions of the Superannuation Industry (Supervision) Act 1993. We give no assurance that the scheme is an appropriate investment for a superannuation fund. The trustees of superannuation funds are advised that no consideration has been given in this Ruling as to whether investment in this scheme may contravene the provisions of the Superannuation Industry (Supervision) Act 1993. 7. This Ruling applies from 13 November 2024, the date it was published, to a Customer specified in paragraph 4 of this Ruling that enters into the scheme from 13 November 2024 until 30 June 2027. 8. However, the Ruling only applies and may be relied on to the extent that there is no change in the scheme or in the Customer's involvement in the scheme. If the scheme carried out is materially different from the scheme described at paragraphs 11 to 15 of this Ruling, this Ruling cannot be relied upon and may be withdrawn or modified. 9. Subject to paragraph 3 of this Ruling and the assumptions in paragraph 10 of this Ruling: | Assumptions: 10. This Ruling is made on the basis of the following necessary assumptions: 11. The scheme is identified and described in the following: Note: Certain information has been provided on a commercial-in-confidence basis and will not be disclosed or released under freedom of information legislation. 12. For the purposes of describing the scheme, there are no other agreements (whether formal or informal, and whether or not legally enforceable) which a Customer, or any associate of a Customer, will be a party to, that are a part of the scheme. | Overview of scheme: 13. The Suppliers are independent store business owners that sell agricultural products and provide associated services to farmers. National Rural Independents Ltd act as a buying agent to assist the Suppliers (its shareholders) to source products for their customers. 14. The Prepayment Terms under the Prepayment Application form constitute an agreement between the customer of a Supplier (Customer) and the applicable Supplier. The Program is, among other things, designed to assist customer cash-flow management by enabling them to pay for Supplies during major agricultural sale periods. 15. Pursuant to the Prepayment Terms: Commissioner of Taxation 13 November 2024 | Section 8-1 of the ITAA 1997  deductibility of the Prepayment Amount: 16. A loss or outgoing is deductible under section 8-1 of the ITAA 1997 if it is necessarily incurred in carrying on a business for the purpose of gaining or producing a taxpayer's assessable income. The expenditure must be part of the cost of trading operations and must not be of a capital, private or domestic nature. 17. An outgoing incurred by a business will be 'necessarily incurred' where, in the circumstances, it is reasonably capable of being seen as desirable or appropriate from the point of view of the pursuit of the business ends of the business being carried on for the purpose of earning assessable income (see Magna Alloys & Research Pty Ltd v Commissioner of Taxation of the Commonwealth of Australia [1980] FCA 180). 18. Upon entry into the Program the Prepayment Amount is both immediately due and non-refundable such that the Customer becomes definitively committed to, and incurs, the Prepayment Amount. As the Prepayment Amount is incurred for the purchase of Supplies to be used in the Customer's primary production business, it constitutes expenditure which is clearly appropriate from the point of view of the pursuit of the business ends of the Customer's business and is therefore necessarily incurred in the carrying on of that business. 19. The Prepayment Amount necessarily incurred by the Customer to purchase Supplies in the course of carrying on its business is not of a capital, private or domestic nature. The deduction for the Prepayment Amount is allowable under section 8-1 of the ITAA 1997 in the income year the payment is made to the Supplier (that is, at the time it is necessarily incurred). | Section 82KZM  prepaid expenditure incurred by certain small and medium business entities and individuals incurring non-business expenditure: 20. Subject to paragraph 21 of this Ruling, section 82KZM operates to spread over more than one income year a deduction which, apart from that section, would be allowable under section 8-1 of the ITAA 1997 for the year of income in which the prepaid expenditure (other than excluded expenditure as defined in subsection 82KZL(1)) is incurred under an agreement by a taxpayer that is either: 21. Section 82KZM applies if the eligible service period for the expenditure is longer than 12 months, or the eligible service period for the expenditure is 12 months or shorter but ends after the last day of the year of income after the one in which the expenditure was incurred. 22. In relation to the Prepayment Amount incurred by the Customer under the Program, the eligible service period for the purpose of section 82KZM is the period to which the Prepayment Amount relates. That period is: 23. The eligible service period in relation to the deductible Prepayment Amount under the Program is 12 months or less. As it is not more than 12 months and does not end after the last day of the year of income after the one in which the expenditure was incurred, section 82KZM will have no application to Customers that (as assumed at paragraph 10 of this Ruling) are a small business entity (or an entity covered by subsection 82KZM(1A)) for the year of income and have not chosen to apply section 82KZMD to the expenditure. © AUSTRALIAN TAXATION OFFICE FOR THE COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA You are free to copy, adapt, modify, transmit and distribute this material as you wish (but not in any way that suggests the ATO or the Commonwealth endorses you or any of your services or products).


Appendix: Section 8-1 of the ITAA 1997  deductibility of the Prepayment Amount: 16. A loss or outgoing is deductible under section 8-1 of the ITAA 1997 if it is necessarily incurred in carrying on a business for the purpose of gaining or producing a taxpayer's assessable income. The expenditure must be part of the cost of trading operations and must not be of a capital, private or domestic nature. 17. An outgoing incurred by a business will be 'necessarily incurred' where, in the circumstances, it is reasonably capable of being seen as desirable or appropriate from the point of view of the pursuit of the business ends of the business being carried on for the purpose of earning assessable income (see Magna Alloys & Research Pty Ltd v Commissioner of Taxation of the Commonwealth of Australia [1980] FCA 180). 18. Upon entry into the Program the Prepayment Amount is both immediately due and non-refundable such that the Customer becomes definitively committed to, and incurs, the Prepayment Amount. As the Prepayment Amount is incurred for the purchase of Supplies to be used in the Customer's primary production business, it constitutes expenditure which is clearly appropriate from the point of view of the pursuit of the business ends of the Customer's business and is therefore necessarily incurred in the carrying on of that business. 19. The Prepayment Amount necessarily incurred by the Customer to purchase Supplies in the course of carrying on its business is not of a capital, private or domestic nature. The deduction for the Prepayment Amount is allowable under section 8-1 of the ITAA 1997 in the income year the payment is made to the Supplier (that is, at the time it is necessarily incurred). | Section 82KZM  prepaid expenditure incurred by certain small and medium business entities and individuals incurring non-business expenditure: 20. Subject to paragraph 21 of this Ruling, section 82KZM operates to spread over more than one income year a deduction which, apart from that section, would be allowable under section 8-1 of the ITAA 1997 for the year of income in which the prepaid expenditure (other than excluded expenditure as defined in subsection 82KZL(1)) is incurred under an agreement by a taxpayer that is either: 21. Section 82KZM applies if the eligible service period for the expenditure is longer than 12 months, or the eligible service period for the expenditure is 12 months or shorter but ends after the last day of the year of income after the one in which the expenditure was incurred. 22. In relation to the Prepayment Amount incurred by the Customer under the Program, the eligible service period for the purpose of section 82KZM is the period to which the Prepayment Amount relates. That period is: 23. The eligible service period in relation to the deductible Prepayment Amount under the Program is 12 months or less. As it is not more than 12 months and does not end after the last day of the year of income after the one in which the expenditure was incurred, section 82KZM will have no application to Customers that (as assumed at paragraph 10 of this Ruling) are a small business entity (or an entity covered by subsection 82KZM(1A)) for the year of income and have not chosen to apply section 82KZMD to the expenditure. © AUSTRALIAN TAXATION OFFICE FOR THE COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA You are free to copy, adapt, modify, transmit and distribute this material as you wish (but not in any way that suggests the ATO or the Commonwealth endorses you or any of your services or products).


What this Ruling is about | If this Ruling applies to you, and you correctly rely on it, we will apply the law to you in the way set out in this Ruling. That is, you will not pay any more tax or penalties or interest in respect of the matters covered by this Ruling. | This Ruling has been given on the basis that the entity who applied for the Ruling, and their associates, will abide by strict terms of use. Any failure to comply with the terms of use may lead to the withdrawal of this Ruling. | Potential participants must form their own view about the commercial and financial viability of the product. The Commissioner recommends a financial (or other) adviser be consulted for such information.


Legislative references: ITAA 1936 Pt III Div 3 Subdiv H ITAA 1936 82KZL(1) ITAA 1936 82KZM ITAA 1936 82KZM(1A) ITAA 1936 82KZMD ITAA 1936 Part IVA ITAA 1997 8-1 ITAA 1997 27-5 ITAA 1997 Div 230 ITAA 1997 328-110 SISA 1993 Corporations Act 2001 95A
Case references: Magna Alloys & Research Pty Ltd v Commissioner of Taxation of the Commonwealth of Australia [1980] FCA 180 80 ATC 4542 11 ATR 276 33 ALR 213 49 FLR 183