ATO Interpretative Decision

ATO ID 2005/43

Income Tax

Capital Gains Tax: small business concessions - connected entities - 'control' of an unadministered deceased estate
FOI status: may be released

This version is no longer current. Please follow this link to view the current version.

  • This document has changed over time. View its history.

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you will need to ensure that the relevant provisions referred to in the decision have not been amended or repealed.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

Are two unadministered deceased estates connected with each other under subsection 152-30(1) of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 (ITAA 1997) because they have the same executor or beneficiaries?

Decision

No. The two unadministered deceased estates are not connected with each other under subsection 152-30(1) of the ITAA 1997 because they have the same executor or beneficiaries.

Facts

Two unadministered deceased estates carry on business in partnership. The estates have the same executor and some of the same beneficiaries.

One of the estates disposed of an asset it used in the business but which was not a partnership asset and made a capital gain. The estate is determining whether it qualifies for the small business capital gains tax (CGT) concessions in Division 152 of the ITAA 1997, and in doing so it must determine whether it satisfies the $5 million maximum net asset value test. As part of considering that test, the estate must determine whether the other estate is connected with it such that the other estate's assets are included in its net asset test.

Reasons for Decision

Under subsection 152-30(1) of the ITAA 1997 an entity is 'connected with' another entity if either entity controls the other entity in the way described in section 152-30 of the ITAA 1997 or both entities are controlled in that way by the same third entity.

An entity 'controls' another entity if it (together with any small business CGT affiliates) beneficially owns, or has the right to acquire the beneficial ownership of, interests in the other entity that carry between them the right to receive at least 40% of any distribution of income and capital by the other entity (paragraph 152-30(2)(a) of the ITAA 1997).

A beneficiary of an unadministered deceased estate does not beneficially own, or have the right to acquire beneficial ownership of, interests in the unadministered estate which carry rights to receive any distributions of income or capital. The beneficiary therefore does not control (and hence is not connected with) the estate under paragraph 152-30(2)(a) of the ITAA 1997.

The executor of an unadministered deceased estate also does not beneficially own, or have the right to acquire beneficial ownership of, interests which carry rights to receive distributions of income or capital. The executor therefore also does not control (and hence is not connected with) the estate under paragraph 152-30(2)(a) of the ITAA 1997.

As such, there is no entity that controls an unadministered deceased estate under paragraph 152-30(2)(a) of the ITAA 1997.

Therefore, although the two unadministered deceased estates have the same executor and beneficiaries, there is no entity that controls both estates and accordingly the estates are not connected with each other under subsection 152-30(1) of the ITAA 1997.

Date of decision:  22 December 2004

Year of income:  Year ending 30 June 2005

Legislative References:
Income Tax Assessment Act 1997
   Division 152
   subsection 152-30(1)
   paragraph 152-30(2)(a)

Related ATO Interpretative Decisions
ATO ID 2004/147

Keywords
Basic conditions for relief
Capital Gains Tax
CGT small business relief
CGT deceased estate
Connected entity

Business Line:  Losses and Capital Gains Tax Centre of Expertise

Date of publication:  11 February 2005

ISSN: 1445-2782

history
  Date: Version:
You are here 22 December 2004 Original statement
  7 May 2010 Archived