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Income averaging for special professionals 2019

Information about types of professional income and how to work out the tax payable with income averaging.

Last updated 29 May 2019

Who is a special professional?

A special professional is an author of a literary, dramatic, musical or artistic work, an inventor, a performing artist, a production associate or a sportsperson.

Author or inventor

The expression 'author' is a technical term from copyright law. In general, the 'author' of a musical work is its composer and the 'author' of an artistic work is the artist, sculptor or photographer who created it.

Performing artist

You are a special professional if you use intellectual, artistic, musical, physical or other personal skills in the presence of an audience, or you perform or appear in a film, on a tape or disc, or in a television or radio broadcast.

Production associate

You are a special professional if you use artistic rather than technical skills in the production. The people who qualify as production associates are specified in the definition of artistic support to be:

  • an art director
  • a choreographer
  • a costume designer
  • a director
  • a director of photography
  • a film editor
  • a lighting designer
  • a musical director
  • a producer
  • a production designer
  • a set designer
  • any person who makes an artistic contribution similar to that made by any of these people.

Sportsperson

You are a special professional if you compete in sporting activities where you primarily use physical prowess, physical strength or physical stamina. A navigator in car rallying, a coxswain in rowing or a similar competitor is also a special professional.

Guidance notes on eligibility for special professional income averaging.

Guidance notes on taxable and assessable professional income.

Guidance notes on average taxable professional income (ATPI).

Guidance notes on above-average special professional income and completing your tax return.

Supporting publications and phone numbers.

QC58648