The rules covering the small business 15-year exemption are contained in Subdivision 152-B of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997.
Interaction with other concessions
If you qualify for the small business 15-year exemption, you can entirely disregard the capital gain and do not need to apply any other concessions. Further, you do not have to apply capital losses against your capital gain before applying the 15-year exemption.
If the conditions are satisfied and you make a capital loss from the CGT event, you may use the capital loss to reduce other capital gains.
Conditions you must meet
You can disregard a capital gain from a CGT event happening to a CGT asset you have owned for at least 15 years if you:
- satisfy the basic conditions for the small business CGT concessions (the active asset test requires the asset to have been an active asset for at least 7.5 years of the whole period of ownership)
- continuously owned the CGT asset for the 15-year period ending just before the CGT event happened.
If you are an individual:
- you are at least 55 years old at the time of the CGT event and the event happens in connection with your retirement, or
- you were permanently incapacitated at the time of the CGT event, and
- if the CGT asset is a share in a company or an interest in a trust, that company or trust must have had a significant individual for periods totalling at least 15 years during the entire time you owned the share or interest - even if it was not the same significant individual during the whole period.
If you are a company or trust:
- you had a significant individual for a total of at least 15 years of the whole period of ownership (even if it was not the same significant individual during the whole period), and
- the individual who was a significant individual just before the CGT event was
- at least 55 years old at that time and the event happened in connection with their retirement, or
- permanently incapacitated at that time.
Death and the 15-year exemption
You may be eligible for the concessions if you make a capital gain on an asset within two years of a person's death, if that asset is or was part of that individuals estate, and you are a:
- beneficiary of the deceased estate
- legal personal representatives (executor), or
- trustee or beneficiary of the testamentary trust (trusts created by a will).
You may also be eligible if you, together with the deceased, owned the asset as joint tenants.
You will be eligible for the 15-year exemption to the same extent that the deceased would have been just prior to their death, except that:
- the CGT event does not need to be in connection with the retirement of the deceased
- the deceased needs to have been 55 or older immediately before their death, rather than at the time of the CGT event.
The Commissioner can extend the two year period.
See Basic conditions and Death and the small business CGT concessions.
Example
Ruth and Geoff are partners in a partnership that conducts a farming business on land they purchased in 1986 and have owned continuously since that time. The net value of their CGT assets for the purpose of the maximum net asset value test is less than $6 million.
Ruth and Geoff are both over 60 years of age and wish to retire. As they have no children, they decide to sell the major asset of the farming business (the land). They sell the land in December 2006, for a total capital gain of $100,000. Both Ruth and Geoff qualify for the small business 15-year exemption in relation to the capital gain.
Exception for discretionary trusts with tax losses
This exception applies only for the small business 15-year exemption and not for any of the other small business concessions. Further, there must still be a significant individual just before the CGT event, so this exception does not apply in the year the CGT event happens.
In a year that a discretionary trust has no taxable income (or a tax loss) and did not make a distribution of income or capital, it is treated as having met the significant individual requirement.
In connection with an individual's retirement
Whether a CGT event happens in connection with an individual's retirement depends on the particular circumstances of each case. There would need to be at least a significant reduction in the number of hours the individual works or a significant change in the nature of their present activities to be regarded as a retirement. However, it is not necessary for there to be a permanent and everlasting retirement from the workforce. The following examples provide a guide as to the likely scope of the term.
Example
A small business operator, aged over 55, sells his business. Under the terms of the sale, he agrees to be employed by the new owner for a few hours each week for two years. The sale of the business would be in connection with the small business operator's retirement. He has permanently or indefinitely ceased being self-employed and has commenced gainful employment on a much reduced scale with another party, although still performing similar activities.
Example
A small business operator and spouse are both pharmacists, are both aged over 55 and carry on business through two pharmacies. They sell one (and make a capital gain) and, accordingly, reduce their working hours from 60 hours a week each to 45 and 35 hours a week respectively. There has been some change to their present activities in terms of hours worked and location. But there has not been a significant reduction in the number of hours or a significant change in the nature of their activities and, therefore, there has been no 'retirement'.
If, on the other hand, one spouse reduced their hours to nil (stopped working), there would be a significant reduction in the number of hours that spouse was engaged in the business activities. The sale would, therefore, be in connection with the retirement of that spouse.
A CGT event may be 'in connection with your retirement' even if it occurs at some time before retirement. Whether particular cases satisfy the conditions depends very much on the facts of each case.
Example
A small business operator, aged over 55, sells some business assets as part of a wind down in business activity ahead of selling the business. Within six months, she sells the business and ends her present activities. If it can be shown that the earlier CGT event was integral to the business operator's plan to cease her activities and retire, the CGT event may be accepted as happening in connection with retirement.
Similarly, the words 'in connection with' can apply where the CGT event occurs sometime after retirement. Again, this type of case would depend on its own particular facts and cases would need to be considered on a case-by-case basis.
Example
A small business operator 'retires' and his children take over the running of the business. Within six months, some business assets are sold and a capital gain is made. Several reasons may have prompted the sale of the assets. If there is no relevant connection with the small business operator's business, the requirement would not be satisfied. However, if it can be shown that the reason for disposing of the assets is connected to retirement and the later sale is integral to the small business operator's retirement plan, the sale may be accepted as happening in connection with retirement.
Permanent incapacity
Whether an individual is permanently incapacitated at the time of the CGT event depends on the particular circumstances of each case. Having regard to the meaning of the term permanent incapacity elsewhere within the retirement and superannuation law, an indicative description of the term is:
Ill health (whether physical or mental), where it is reasonable to consider that the person is unlikely, because of the ill-health, to engage again in gainful employment for which the person is reasonably qualified by education, training or experience. The incapacity does not necessarily need to be permanent in the sense of everlasting.
The following examples provide an indication of the meaning of the term for the purposes of the small business 15-year exemption.
Example
Jack had been carrying on business for many years. Unfortunately, he developed severe health problems that continued to deteriorate to the point where he was incapable of operating the business and, as a result, he sold the business.
At the time the business was sold, Jack's doctor provided a written statement that Jack suffered ill health to the extent that he was unlikely to be able to engage again in gainful employment for which he was reasonably qualified. Jack was under 55 years of age when he sold the business.
Having regard to all the circumstances, Jack would be considered to be permanently incapacitated at the time the business was sold. He may, therefore, qualify for the small business 15-year exemption if he satisfies the other conditions.
Example
Fred had been carrying on a landscape gardening business for over 20 years. One day, Fred fell out of a tree and badly broke both arms and a leg. He was essentially confined to bed in hospital for several weeks and then at home for several more weeks. The doctor said his recovery would take quite some time. Fred then underwent extensive physiotherapy for several months and it was nearly a year before he regained full use of his arms and legs and was able to undertake normal activities again.
During this time, as Fred could not operate the business effectively, he sold the business. Fred was under 55 years of age at the time of the sale.
Although Fred suffered a serious injury which required an extensive period of rehabilitation, he was always expected to regain his physical capabilities. Therefore, having regard to all the circumstances, it could not be said Fred was permanently incapacitated at the time he sold the business. The 15-year exemption would not be available in this case.
Example
Reg had been carrying on business for many years. Suddenly, he suffered a severe stroke which left him paralysed down one side of his body and confined to a wheelchair. Because of the extent of the damage, the doctors thought it was unlikely that Reg would regain much movement in his affected limbs.
As Reg was incapable of operating the business, he sold the business. Reg was under 55 years of age at the time of the sale.
Notwithstanding the bleak outlook, Reg and his family were determined that he recover and accordingly Reg underwent an extensive program of physiotherapy and exercises over an extended period. Remarkably, after 18 months, Reg had surpassed all expectations and had regained most bodily movements.
Notwithstanding Reg's remarkable recovery, at the time he sold the business the prevailing medical opinion was that he was unlikely to be able to engage again in gainful employment for which he was reasonably qualified. Having regard to all the circumstances, Reg would be considered to be permanently incapacitated at the time the business was sold. He may, therefore, qualify for the small business 15-year exemption if he satisfies the other conditions.
Involuntary disposals
A requirement of the small business 15-year exemption is that you must have owned the CGT asset for one or more periods of time that total 15 years. However, there are modified rules to determine if this requirement is satisfied for CGT assets acquired or transferred under the rollover provisions relating to assets compulsorily acquired, lost or destroyed, or to marriage breakdown (Subdivisions 124-B and 126-A of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 respectively).
If you acquired a replacement asset to satisfy the rollover requirements in respect of the compulsory acquisition, loss or destruction of a CGT asset, the replacement asset is treated as if you acquired it when you acquired the original asset.
If you have a CGT asset transferred to you because of a marriage breakdown, and the capital gain arising from that transfer was rolled over under the marriage breakdown rollover provisions, for the purpose of determining whether the 15-year requirement has been satisfied you can choose to:
- include the ownership period of your former spouse, or
- commence the ownership period from the time the asset was transferred to you.
If you choose to include your former spouse's ownership period of the CGT asset, that asset is treated as if you acquired it when your former spouse acquired the asset.
Example
Cameron and Therese were married for 10 years, during which time Cameron owned a farm on which he operated a dairy business. Since their divorce, Therese has owned the farm (it was transferred to her in circumstances under which Cameron obtained a rollover under the marriage breakdown rollover provisions) and operated the dairy business for the past five years.
Therese can sell the farm and obtain the 15-year exemption (if she is 55 or over and sells the farm to retire or is incapacitated) if she chooses to adopt Cameron's ownership and active asset periods.
Separate interests in the same CGT asset
If you own separate interests in the same CGT asset and sell those interests together, the 15-year exemption applies only to interests in the asset that you have owned continuously for at least 15 years. The exemption does not apply to any interest you have owned for less than 15 years. This is because interests in an asset acquired at different times are separate CGT assets.
Example
On 1 December 1988, Janet purchased a 40% interest in a 400-hectare parcel of grazing land. On 1 December 1993, she purchased the remaining 60% interest in the land. On 15 December 2006 (Janet's 60th birthday), she sold the land and retired.
While Janet owned the 40% interest she purchased in 1988 for at least 15 years, she owned the 60% interest she purchased in 1993 for just over 13 years. The two interests are separate CGT assets and, accordingly, the capital gain made on the sale of the 60% interest is not eligible for the 15-year exemption (it may be eligible for other CGT concessions).