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Legal Database Reference Manual

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Quick access

Quick access is a quick way of:

  • going to nominated sections within the 16 most commonly used tax Acts
  • going directly to documents such as rulings, ATO IDs and taxpayer alerts.

View legislation

Select View legislation to access specific acts:

  • Income Tax Assessment Act 1997
  • Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 (Archive)
  • Income Tax Assessment Act 1936
  • Income Tax Assessment Act 1936 (Archive)
  • A New Tax System (Goods and Services Tax) Act 1999
  • Fringe Benefits Tax Act 1986
  • Fringe Benefits Tax Assessment Act 1986
  • Income Tax (Transitional Provisions) Act 1997
  • Income Tax (Transitional Provisions) Act 1997 (Archive)
  • Income Tax Act 1986
  • Income Tax Rates Act 1986
  • Income Tax Rates Act 1986 (Archive)
  • International Tax Agreements Act 1953
  • Sales Tax (Exemptions & Classifications) Act 1982
  • Sales Tax Assessment Act 1992
  • Superannuation Contributions Tax (Assessment & Collection) Act 1997
  • Superannuation Guarantee (Administration) Act 1992
  • Superannuation Industry (Supervision) Act 1993
  • Taxation Administration Act 1953
  • Excise Tariff Act 1921

Select an act from the drop-down list, enter the section number in the 'Provision' box and click on the Search button to go to the required section.

View legislation function

Example 1: Find Section 6 of the Fringe Benefits Tax Act 1986.

Answer:

  • Click on View legislation
  • Select Fringe Benefits Tax 1986
  • Type 6 in the 'Search' box
  • Click on Search

View a document

This function allows you to quickly go to a particular:

  • public ruling, determination or bulletin
  • legislative determination
  • ATO interpretative decision
  • case decision summary
  • ATO law administration practice statement
  • taxpayer alert
  • ATO superannuation circular.

If you know the reference number of one of these documents, click on View a document. Select the document type from the drop-down list, enter the number in the 'Reference' box then click on the Search button to go to the required document.

  • Use four digit years for all 1999 and subsequent rulings, determinations and bulletins, and for 1998 and subsequent product rulings – for example, TR 1999/3. Use only the last two digits of the year for all earlier rulings – for example, TR 97/11. To view a list of all rulings for a year use the wildcard ‘?’ – for example, TR1999/?
  • If you can’t remember the abbreviation for a particular ruling, omit the abbreviation and enter the ruling number – for example, 2003/15. You will be presented with a list of all ruling types with that reference number.

View a document function

Example 2: Find GSTR 2003/9 (Goods and Services Tax: financial acquisitions threshold).

Answer:

  • Click on View a document
  • Select Public Rulings, Determinations and Bulletins from the drop-down list
  • Type GSTR 2003/9 in the 'Reference' box
  • Click on Search

Sections within Using the Legal Database

Last Modified: Tuesday, 16 December 2008

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