How to apply for a private ruling

What is a private ruling?

A private ruling sets out the Commissioner of Taxation's opinion about the way a tax law applies, or would apply, to you in relation to a specified scheme or circumstance.

If you rely on a private ruling you have received (that is, you apply the ruling to your tax affairs), the Commissioner must administer the law in the way set out in the ruling, unless the ruling is found to be incorrect and applying the law correctly would lead to a better outcome for you.

Scheme

We use scheme as a general term in taxation matters on this site and in the application forms. A scheme can be any agreement, arrangement, understanding, plan, proposal, action, course of action or course of conduct, promise or undertaking, whether express or implied and whether or not enforceable, or intended to be enforceable, by legal proceedings.