ATO Interpretative Decision

ATO ID 2002/628 (Withdrawn)

Income Tax

Income: Special professional (Glass artist)
FOI status: may be released
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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you will need to ensure that the relevant provisions referred to in the decision have not been amended or repealed.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

Does the taxpayer, who carries on business as a glass artist, qualify as a 'special professional' under subsection 405-25(1) of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 (ITAA 1997)?

Decision

Yes. The taxpayer qualifies as a 'special professional' under subsection 405-25(1) of the ITAA 1997.

Facts

The taxpayer carries on a business as a glass artist, which involves producing glass works for sale.

Reasons for Decision

Paragraph 405 25(1)(a) of the ITAA 1997 includes as a 'special professional', the author of an artistic work. The note to this subsection states that the expression 'author' is a technical term from copyright law. In general the 'author' of an artistic work is the artist, sculptor or photographer who created it.

While the term 'artistic work' is not defined in the income tax legislation, the meaning given to the term in the Copyright Act 1968 is used for the purposes of subsection 405-25(1) of the ITAA 1997. Under subsection 10(1) of the Copyright Act 1968, the term 'artistic work' means:

(a)
a painting, sculpture, drawing, engraving or photograph, whether the work is of artistic quality or not;
(b)
a building or a model of a building, whether the building or model is of artistic quality or not; or
(c)
a work of artistic craftsmanship whether or not mentioned in paragraph (a) or (b);

but does not include a circuit layout within the meaning of the Circuit Layouts Act 1989.

The taxpayer is therefore an author of artistic work under paragraph (a) or (c) of subsection 10(1) of the Copyright Act 1968 and as such qualifies as a 'special professional' as defined in subsection 405-25(1) of the ITAA 1997.

Amendment History

Date of Amendment Part Comment
1 May 2015 Issue Updated for style.
Reasons for Decision Updated to align with amended legislation.

Date of decision:  12 March 2002

Year of income:  Year ended 30 June 1997 Year ended 30 June 1998 Year ended 30 June 1999 Year ended 30 June 2000 Year ended 30 June 2001

Legislative References:
Income Tax Assessment Act 1997
   subsection 405-25(1)
   paragraph 405-25(1)(a)

Copyright Act 1968
   subsection 10(1)

Circuit Layouts Act 1989
   The Act

Keywords
Income averaging
Artists & craftspersons

Business Line:  Small Business/Individual Taxpayers

Date of publication:  31 May 2002
Date reviewed:  20 December 2016

ISSN: 1445-2782

history
  Date: Version:
  12 March 2002 Original statement
  1 May 2015 Updated statement
You are here 13 January 2017 Archived

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