ATO determinations of effective life are made by legislative instrument and published on the ATO Legal Database. The current determination can be accessed at Income Tax Assessment (Effective Life of Depreciating Assets) Determination 2025.
The primary legislative references are sections 40-95, 40-100 and 40-105 of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997.
Taxpayers claiming depreciation on assets for tax purposes should refer to the ATO’s web guidance on the effective life of depreciating assets. The Effective Life Lookup Tool, available within the Depreciation and Capital Allowances Tool, can also assist in identifying the appropriate effective life for an asset.
Effective lives were previously also published in tables attached to taxation rulings relating to the effective life of depreciating assets. Historically, the ATO updated effective lives periodically through the publication of Taxation Rulings, a practice that ended with the withdrawal of TR 2022/1. The ATO now uses an on-demand approach to reviewing the effective life of depreciating assets. If an asset used in your business or industry is not listed, or if the current determination no longer reflects its effective life, you can request a review by completing an Effective Life Review Application Form.