How to value your livestock at the end of each year as part of determining your net income from primary production.
You can choose to value livestock at cost, market-selling value or replacement value. An additional option is available for certain horse breeding stock.
You may change the basis of valuation year by year. You may also use different valuation methods for different stock in the same year. However, the value of your opening livestock (at 1 July) each year must be the same as the value of your closing stock (at 30 June) for the previous year. That is, you must use the same valuation method at the beginning of the new income year as you used at the end of the previous income year.
Small businesses – simplified trading stock rules
You do not have to value each item of trading stock (including livestock) on hand at the end of the income year or account for changes in the value of your trading stock if:
- you are a small business entity
- the difference between the value of all your trading stock at the start of the income year and the value you reasonably estimate of all your trading stock at the end of the income year is $5,000 or less.
However, if you prefer, you can still conduct a stocktake and account for changes in the value of trading stock for the income year if the difference is $5,000 or less.
For more information see Simplified trading stock rules.
Goods taken from stock for private use
If you take goods from stock for your own use, or for the use of your family members, you need to account for the goods as if the stock had been disposed of at its cost.
This includes where a grazier slaughters livestock for personal consumption or for rations for employees.
For more information see TD 2022/15 Income tax: value of goods taken from stock for private use for the 2022–23 income year.
Natural increase
The cost of an animal you hold as livestock that you acquired by natural increase is whichever of these you choose:
- actual cost of the animal
- cost prescribed by the regulations
- cattle, horses and deer – $20
- pigs – $12
- emus – $8
- goats and sheep – $4
- poultry – 35 cents.
A horse's livestock cost will be the greater of the above or the insemination service fee.
Oyster farmers
Oyster farmers need to account for oysters on hand as trading stock. This includes oysters held on sticks or in trays, or harvested and held ready for sale.
For more information refer to Oyster farmers: calculating the value of trading stock.
Beekeepers
If you are operating a beekeeping business for the purpose of honey production, you need to account for bees on hand as trading stock. You may be eligible to use a simplified practice of valuing a live hive rather than accounting for the individual bees.
For more information refer to Beekeepers: calculating the value of trading stock.
How to value your livestock at the end of each year as part of determining your net income from primary production.