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Edited version of private advice

Authorisation Number: 1051966878218

Date of advice: 29 March 2022

Ruling

Subject: NCL discretion - nature of activity

Question

Will the Commissioner exercise the discretion in paragraph 35-55(1)(b) of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 (ITAA1997) to allow you to include any losses from your primary production business in the calculation of your taxable income for the 20XX-XX and 20XX-XX income years?

Answer

Yes, having considered your circumstances and the relevant factors, the Commissioner has granted the discretion. It is accepted that it is the nature of your activity which will prevent the business from making a tax profit in the 20XX-XX and 20XX-XX income years. It is also accepted that you will produce a tax profit within the commercially viable period for your industry.

This ruling applies for the following periods:

XX June 20XX

XX June 20XX

The scheme commences on:

X July 20XX

Relevant facts and circumstances

You purchased a property with the intention to run a primary production activity.

The primary production activity will be operated through a partnership.

The property consists of five paddocks of varying size with a mixture of improved and native pastures and each paddock is serviced by a dam for water supply.

You spent three weeks installing fencing to begin setting the farm up to hold sheep.

A number of Merino ewes and Border Leicester rams will be purchased with intent to breed, producing lambs to sell in the 20XX-XX income year.

The primary production activity requires one-off capital expenditure to operate the primary production activity.

You will not report any income in the 20XX-XX income year due to the nature of the primary production activity.

You will report income in the 20XX-XX income year from the sale of lambs and wool, but you will not return a tax profit.

You expect to return a tax profit in the 20XX-XX income year.

Relevant legislative provisions

Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 subsection 35-10(1)

Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 subsection 35-10(2)

Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 subsection 35-10(2E)

Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 paragraph 35-55(1)(b)