ATO Interpretative Decision

ATO ID 2013/61

Income tax

School building fund established and maintained by a church - trust deed

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CAUTION: This is an edited and summarised record of a Tax Office decision. This record is not published as a form of advice. It is being made available for your inspection to meet FOI requirements, because it may be used by an officer in making another decision.

This ATOID provides you with the following level of protection:

If you reasonably apply this decision in good faith to your own circumstances (which are not materially different from those described in the decision), and the decision is later found to be incorrect you will not be liable to pay any penalty or interest. However, you will be required to pay any underpaid tax (or repay any over-claimed credit, grant or benefit), provided the time limits under the law allow it. If you do intend to apply this decision to your own circumstances, you will need to ensure that the relevant provisions referred to in the decision have not been amended or repealed. You may wish to obtain further advice from the Tax Office or from a professional adviser.

Issue

Is a school building fund that is established and maintained by a church an 'Australian Charities and Not-for-profit Commission (ACNC) type of entity' as defined in section 995-1 of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 (ITAA 1997) where the school building fund is established by trust deed?

Decision

Yes, where the school building fund is established by trust deed the school building fund is an 'ACNC type of entity'.

Facts

A church conducts a school. The church has an Australian Business Number, and is registered under the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission Act 2012.

The church establishes and maintains a school building fund solely for the purpose of providing money for the acquisition, construction or maintenance of buildings used by the school. The school building fund is a public fund.

The school building fund is established by trust deed. The church is the trustee of the school building fund.

Reasons for Decision

Subdivision 30-B of the ITAA 1997 sets out the funds, authorities and institutions which are eligible to receive deductible gifts.

In order for a fund to satisfy item 2.1.10 of the table in subsection 30-25(1) of the ITAA 1997:

it must be a public fund established and maintained solely for the purpose of providing money for the acquisition, construction or maintenance of a building used as a school or college;
the building must be used as a school or college by a government, a public authority or a non-profit society or association as described in item 2.1.10; and
the fund must be registered under the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission Act 2012, or not be an 'ACNC type of entity' as defined in the ITAA 1997.

Section 995-1 of the ITAA 1997 defines the phrase 'ACNC type of entity' to mean:

an entity that meets the description of a type of entity in column 1 of the table in subsection 25-5(5) of the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission Act 2012.

The term 'entity' is defined in section 960-100 of the ITAA 1997 to include a 'trust'. The term 'trust' is not defined in the ITAA 1997.

The school building fund is a trust, and is therefore an 'entity' under section 960-100 of the ITAA 1997. As the school building fund is also a charity, it is an entity that meets the description of a type of entity in column 1 of the table in subsection 25-5(5) of the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission Act 2012.

Therefore, the school building fund is an 'ACNC type of entity' as defined in section 995-1 of the ITAA 1997.

Date of decision:  18 November 2013

Year of income:  Year ending 30 June 2014

Legislative References:
Income Tax Assessment Act 1997
   Subdivision 30-B
   subsection 30-25(1)
   section 960-100
   section 995-1

Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission Act 2012
   subsection 25-5(5)

Related Public Rulings (including Determinations)
Taxation Ruling TR 2013/2

Related ATO Interpretative Decisions
ATO ID 2013/60
ATO ID 2013/62

Keywords
school building funds
deductible gift recipients
associations, organisations and societies
entities and taxpayer groups

Siebel/TDMS Reference Number:  1-53OKLJN

Business Line:  Private Groups and High Wealth Individuals

Date of publication:  26 November 2013

ISSN: 1445-2782

history
  Date: Version:
You are here 18 November 2013 Original statement
  10 June 2016 Updated statement