Our support options
If you've been affected by drought and are struggling to meet your tax, registry or super obligations, we can provide a range of support options to help you.
We encourage you to contact us about your situation as soon as you can.
We can also provide replacements for lost or damaged tax records.
Recovering from a natural disaster
There is a lot to manage when recovering from a natural disaster. We have detailed information on:
- how to report insurance payouts
- how selling vacated land or a rebuilt house affects capital gains tax
- deductions and tax implications for repairing rental properties or businesses
- receiving and reporting disaster support payments or grants
- eligibility for fuel tax credits
- organising donations or fundraising events or giving donations.
For more information, see Recovery following natural disasters.
Recovery assistance
If you have been affected by drought, you may be eligible to receive payments or allowances to help you recover – see Disaster support from other agencies.
If you've received financial help, you may need to include information about it in your tax return – see Reporting disaster payments and grants in your tax return.
Help for primary producers
There are a range of tailored primary producer concessions that can help you prepare for or manage when conditions or matters are unpredictable.
Media: Drought support for primary producers
https://tv.ato.gov.au/ato-tv/media?v=bi9or7orxmu3p7External Link (Duration: 2:37)
We recognise the significant impact of drought on rural communities. If you're facing financial difficulties due to drought, we offer support to help primary producers manage their finances.
Immediate tax deductions for capital expenditure that are available include:
- Farm management deposits
- Fencing and fodder storage assets
- Landcare operations
- Primary producers concessions
- Shelterbelts – new fencing or reticulation
- Water facilities.
If you put money into your farm management deposit account within the last 12 months, you can withdraw those funds without affecting the deductions you have claimed. Your financial institution may require advance notice of your request for early withdrawal.
Special tax concessions may affect which amounts you include in your assessable income each year and how you pay your PAYG instalments.
If you operate as an individual or in partnership, you can also benefit from exceptions to the non-commercial losses rules.