1011861509492 | Legal database

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Edited version of private ruling

Authorisation Number: 1011861509492

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Ruling

Subject: Legal expenses

Question

Are you entitled to a deduction for legal expenses?

Answer

Yes.

This ruling applies for the following periods

Year ended 30 June 2011

Year ended 30 June 2012

The scheme commenced on

1 July 2010

Relevant facts

You are employed at a University.

In 2010, two employees brought grievance action against you. You were exonerated of every claim brought.

The employees were supported by their union and demanded that you be removed despite being exonerated of the claims.

The University began a series of actions in which your duties were changed and you were put under intense supervision.

You sought legal advice attempting to defend yourself against the action taken by your employer resulting from the claims made by the employees.

Relevant legislative provisions

Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 Section 8-1

Reasons for decision

Section 8-1 of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 (ITAA 1997) allows a deduction for a loss or an outgoing to the extent to which it is incurred in gaining or producing assessable income, except where the loss or outgoing is of a capital, private or domestic nature.

A number of significant court decisions have determined that for an expense to be an allowable deduction:

· it must have the essential character of an outgoing incurred in gaining assessable income or, in other words, of an income-producing expense (Lunney v. FC of T; (1958) 100 CLR 478)

· there must be a nexus between the outgoing and the assessable income so that the outgoing is incidental and relevant to the gaining of assessable income (Ronpibon Tin NL v. FC of T, (1949) 78 CLR 47)

· it is necessary to determine the connection between the particular outgoing and the operations or activities by which the taxpayer most directly gains or produces his or her assessable income (Charles Moore Co (WA) Pty Ltd v. FC of T, (1956) 95 CLR 344; FC of T v. Hatchett, 71 ATC 4184).

For legal expenses to constitute an allowable deduction, it must be shown that they are incidental or relevant to the production of the taxpayer's assessable income or business operations. Also, in determining whether a deduction for legal expenses is allowable under section 8-1 of the ITAA 1997, the nature of the expenditure must be considered (Hallstroms Pty Ltd v. Federal Commissioner of Taxation (1946) 72 CLR 634; (1946) 3 AITR 436; (1946) 8 ATD 190). The nature or character of the legal expenses follows the advantage that is sought to be gained by incurring the expenses. If the advantage to be gained is of a capital nature, then the expenses incurred in gaining the advantage will also be of a capital nature.

Legal expenses are generally deductible if they arise out of the day to day activities of the taxpayer's business (Herald and Weekly Times Ltd v. Federal Commissioner of Taxation (1932) 48 CLR 113; (1932) 39 ALR 46; (1932) 2 ATD 169 and the legal action has more than a peripheral connection to the taxpayer's income producing activities (Magna Alloys and Research Pty Ltd v. FC of T 80 ATC 4542; (1980) 11 ATR 276).

In FC of T v. Rowe (1995) 31 ATR 392; 95 ATC 4691 (Rowe's case), the taxpayer, an employee, was suspended from normal duties and was required to show cause why he should not be dismissed after several complaints were made against him. A statutory inquiry subsequently cleared him of any charges of misconduct or neglect. The court accepted that the legal expenses incurred by the taxpayer in defending the manner in which he performed his duties, in order to defend the threat of dismissal, were allowable. Since the inquiry was concerned with the day to day aspects of the taxpayer's employment, it was concluded that his costs of representation before the inquiry were incurred by him in gaining assessable income.

Your situation is similar to Rowe's case as you incurred legal expenses defending against the actions taken by your employer in relation to your day to day employment. It is considered that your legal expenses are a consequence of your day to day activities as an employee from which you derived assessable income. Therefore the associated legal expenses are deductible under section 8-1 of the ITAA 1997.

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