Draft Taxation Ruling

TR 2000/D7

Income tax: depreciation effective life

  • Please note that the PDF version is the authorised version of this draft ruling.

    View the Addendum notice for this document.

    This document has been finalised by TR 2000/18.

FOI status:

draft only - for comment

Contents Para
What this Ruling is about
Date of effect
Previous Rulings
Explanations
Detailed contents list
Your Comments
Attachments

Preamble

Draft Taxation Rulings (DTRs) represent the preliminary, though considered, views of the Australian Taxation Office. DTRs may not be relied on by taxation officers, taxpayers and practitioners. It is only final Taxation Rulings that represent authoritative statements by the Australian Taxation Office of its stance on the particular matters covered in the Ruling.

What this Ruling is about

1. This Ruling discusses the methodology used by the Commissioner of Taxation in making determinations of the effective life of:

plant under section 42-110 of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 ('the Act'); and
horticultural plants under section 387-177 of the Act.

2. The effective lives of these assets determine the rate at which deductions are allowed for them under the depreciation and horticultural plant write-off provisions.

3. The Commissioner is proposing to make written determinations pursuant to sections 42-110 and 387-177 of the Act. These effective lives to be specified by the Commissioner in those determinations are contained in Tables A and B of the attached schedule.

Class of persons/arrangement

4. This Ruling and determinations apply to taxpayers who choose to use the Commissioner's determinations of effective life to work out the amount of their deduction. Taxpayers who do not use the Commissioner's determinations must make their own estimate of effective life (see sections 42-100 and 387-175 of the Act).

Date of effect

5. This Ruling applies from the date of effect of the proposed determinations of effective life shown in Tables A and B of the attached schedule.

6. The determinations will apply to:

plant you first use (or install ready for use and hold in reserve) for the purpose of producing assessable income, after 30 June 2000; and
horticultural plants you first use (or hold ready for use) for the purpose of producing assessable income in a horticulture business, after 30 June 2000.

Previous Rulings

7. Taxation Ruling IT 2685 is withdrawn as of 1 July 2000.

8. The effective lives of plant set out in the schedule attached to Taxation Ruling IT 2685 continue to apply to plant you used (or installed ready for use and held in reserve) for the purpose of producing assessable income, prior to 1 July 2000.

Explanations

Context of Commissioner's review

9. The Commissioner advised the Review of Business Taxation chaired by John Ralph AO that we would progressively update and expand the effective life schedule attached to Taxation Ruling IT 2685 to ensure it is as representative as possible.

10. Whilst we have now completed the first phase of the update, a complete revision will take some time to complete. As a result, we have repeated most of the determinations of effective life in Taxation Ruling IT 2685, although we have eliminated the earlier practice of rounding lives to whole years. We will review these determinations as part of the ongoing work on the update.

11. The review of Taxation Ruling IT 2685 improves on it by:

restructuring it;
removing duplicate, inappropriate and redundant items;
reviewing, and, where appropriate, updating the effective lives of assets; and
including new assets.

12. For instance, we have reviewed individual assets such as computers and transport containers and changed their effective lives. We have also considered groups of assets used by the power, gas, dairy, cinema and timber industries. This has resulted in the removal of many redundant items. Further work is continuing on the determination of the effective lives of plant used by these and other industries.

13. The review is based on extensive enquiries made by the Australian Taxation Office ('ATO'), the Australian Valuation Office ('AVO') (which is now part of the ATO) and, in some instances, reports prepared by independent consultants.

14. Also, Taxation Ruling IT 2685 applies only to plant. Table A of the schedule attached to this Ruling contains the first determinations of effective life for horticultural plants. We explain these later.

Basic Principles of Depreciation

15. Business income arises from two sources:

net annual flows from business activities associated with the use of business assets and liabilities; and
the change in the market value of those business assets and liabilities.

16. Subject to tax timing rules for income recognition, increases in the market value of assets and decreases in the market value of liabilities add to business income while decreases in the market value of assets and increases in the market value of liabilities reduce business income.

17. The current taxation system, as it applies to depreciation deductions, already recognises the change in market value in working out taxable income. In particular, recognising that the loss of market value in most depreciable assets cannot be directly measured, it allows the write off of plant to be based on an estimate of effective life.

18. Effective life is defined in section 42-105 of the Act for taxpayers who choose to self-assess. It is the estimated period plant can be used by any entity for income-producing purposes, assuming:

it will be subject to wear and tear at a rate that is reasonable to assume; and
will be maintained in reasonably good order and condition.

19. The estimated period is intended to reflect an appropriate allowance for the diminution of economic value of that asset over its period of use i.e., the consumption of the asset's service potential.

20. Where the estimate is incorrect, the balancing adjustment provisions ensure, in those cases where depreciable assets are disposed of, that the actual loss in value over the period of use is allowed as a deduction.

How does the Commissioner determine the effective life of plant?

21. For the purposes of section 42-110 of the Act, the Commissioner estimates the effective life of plant on the basis set out in paragraph 18.

22. The Commissioner's determination involves the consideration of the following factors (which are not intended to be exhaustive). No one factor is necessarily conclusive and the weight given to each factor will vary depending on the nature of the asset. In considering these factors the Commissioner can only take account of normal industry practices.

23. The factors are:

where the asset is actively traded in a secondary market, conditions in that market;
where the asset is not actively traded in secondary markets, economic or financial analysis indicating the period over which that asset is intended for use;
obsolescence;
the way in which the asset is used by an industry;
the use of the asset by different industries;
the level of repairs and maintenance commonly adopted by users of the asset;
retention periods;
industry standards;
scrapping or abandonment practices;
the past experience of users of the asset;
the manufacturer's specifications;
engineering information;
if the asset is leased, the period of the lease; and
the physical life of the asset.

Market Value

24. The defining character of a wasting asset such as plant is that its market value actually falls, or is expected to fall, over time. An analysis of the market value of an asset class therefore, where there is a deep secondary market, is an important factor in ascertaining the likely future consumption of an asset's service potential. For many depreciable assets, however, the lack of secondary trading requires that their effective lives be approximated less directly.

Obsolescence

25. An obsolete asset is one that is redundant or out of date. This may occur for both commercial and technological reasons. For instance, market demand for the goods produced by the asset may cease through consumer preference or Government regulation. The raw material the asset processes may become unavailable. Technology may advance so that the asset is no longer suitable for the purpose for which it was designed.

26. The point to note about technological advances, however, is that we do not necessarily consider that the asset's effective life has ended with each technological advance. A taxpayer can still use an asset for income producing purposes even though a newer model has come on to the market. Obsolescence is only relevant if it prevents the continued use of the asset for income producing purposes. This is best evidenced by the scrapping of the asset.

27. There are two types of obsolescence - that which can be predicted at the time the asset is first used (predictable) and that which emerges later (unpredictable). Clearly the Commissioner can only take account of predictable obsolescence when making an estimate of effective life. Even then, the Commissioner would only take it into account if it can be predicted with a high level of certainty across the majority of users.

28. Taxpayers faced with predictable obsolescence which impacts only on their business may choose to work out the effective lives of the assets themselves.

29. In addition, taxpayers can now work out a new effective life under section 42-112 of the Act where facts emerge (unpredictable obsolescence) during the life of the asset that mean it must be scrapped before its originally estimated effective life has ended.

Use of the asset by different industries

30. The use of an asset by different industries is an important factor. For example, the effective life of an ordinary car is different from the effective life of a car used as a taxi. This reflects the increased wear and tear experienced by a car used as a taxi. This approach will continue.

Retention period

31. The retention period is the period any one taxpayer generally holds an asset. It is only relevant to the Commissioner's determination if, after disposal, the asset can no longer be used by anyone for income producing purposes. That is, the effective life of an asset is its total income producing life.

32. The total income producing life is not necessarily the period a particular taxpayer expects to hold the asset before replacing it. For example, it is common practice for some businesses to dispose of their cars after the cars have done a fixed number of kilometres. The effective life of the car does not end then because, at that point, the car is still capable of being used for income producing purposes.

Scrapping or abandoning the asset

33. Once a taxpayer has scrapped or abandoned an asset there is a presumption it can no longer be used by anyone to produce income. We would expect scrapping to reflect either physical exhaustion or obsolescence. A taxpayer may abandon an asset if it is too difficult or costly to remove from its place of operation at the end of production.

34. These factors are only relevant to the Commissioner's determination of the effective life of an asset if we can establish a general scrapping or abandonment practice across users of the asset. Evidence that one group of users traditionally scraps an asset while others do not will not be sufficient to establish the asset as one that is generally scrapped for the purpose of the Commissioner's determination. However, taxpayers within the group that scrapped the asset could choose to work out the asset's effective life themselves.

Working out your own effective life

35. The factors outlined above are essentially the same factors taxpayers should adopt if they choose to work out the effective life of plant themselves rather than adopt the effective life specified by the Commissioner. There is, however, one critical difference.

36. As mentioned in paragraph 22, the Commissioner can only take account of normal industry practices when estimating the level of use and wear and tear associated with an item of plant. However, taxpayers who choose to self-assess can take account of their own particular circumstances of use.

37. The Commissioner can only determine the effective life of new assets. The purchaser of a second-hand asset, who decides its second-hand condition justifies a shorter life than that determined by the Commissioner, can self-assess. A taxpayer who self-assesses the effective life of an asset acquired after 11.45 am, by legal time in the ACT, on 21 September 1999 is no longer required to assume that it is new.

Rates

38. The rates listed in Taxation Ruling IT 2685 were accelerated. Accelerated rates now only apply to small business taxpayers who satisfy the conditions in Subdivision 42-K. Those rates will continue to apply until the proposed Simplified Tax System for small business taxpayers takes effect from 1 July 2001.

39. For all other taxpayers, for plant they acquire or commence to construct after 11.45 am, by legal time in the ACT, on 21 September 1999, accelerated rates have been removed and the amount of the depreciation deduction is determined by the effective life of the plant: see section 42-118 and subsections 42-160(3) and 42-165(2A) of the Act. Taxpayers work out the rate as part of calculating their deduction under subsection 42-160(3) if they are using the diminishing value method and subsection 42-165(2A) if they are using the prime cost method.

40. The tables in the schedule attached to this Ruling contain only effective lives. Rates have not been included. Working out a rate is no longer a separate step in the process, but has been incorporated into the calculation formulas.

Structure

41. Table A of the attached schedule is an industry table which contains assets under industry headings that have, where possible, been drawn from the Australian New Zealand Standard Industry Classification (ANZSIC) subject categories. It lists assets that are peculiar to particular industries or for which a special effective life is justified because of the use to which those assets are put by a particular industry. Table B is an asset table which contains generic assets which may be used by more than one industry.

42. We have set out the Commissioner's estimate of effective life against each listed asset. Adopting this new structure allows the removal of many duplicated items. For example, in Taxation Ruling IT 2685, we have listed motor vehicles both individually and under various industry headings. In this schedule we have only included them in the asset list. We would only include them in an industry list if we were to give them a different rate for use in that industry.

43. We have marked new items and items we have reviewed with an asterisk *.

How to use this schedule

44. If we have listed a specific asset under a relevant industry heading in the industry table and also in the asset table, then you should use the industry table if you are a member of that industry.

45. Under some industry headings there is a listing for 'general plant'. These listings cover groups of assets. They usually apply to manufacturing plant and represent an average for the group. You should only use them for your manufacturing assets that are not specifically listed for your industry or in the asset table.

46. We inserted most of the listings for general plant a number of years ago and we will, therefore, be progressively reviewing them as part of updating the Commissioner's determinations.

47. If you cannot find an asset under your relevant industry heading or in the asset table, you will need to work out its effective life yourself.

Removal of items listed in Taxation Ruling IT 2685

48. Many of the items that appear in Taxation Ruling IT 2685 do not appear in the attached schedule. Generally, we have removed them because no effective life is set for them or the asset is no longer used for income producing purposes.

49. We have listed all items that we have removed in Tables C to F of the schedule attached to this ruling. For easy identification, we have listed them exactly as they appear in Taxation Ruling IT 2685. These tables do not contain determinations made by the Commissioner. We have divided assets that we have removed into four categories:

non-depreciable assets;
assets for which a deduction was allowed using the replacements method;
assets for which there were previously statutory rates; and
redundant assets.

Non-depreciable assets

50. There are approximately 50 assets listed in Taxation Ruling IT 2685 for which no effective life is set. Most were listed for the purpose of advising that no depreciation is available for them because they are not plant (e.g., they are livestock governed by the trading stock provisions or buildings or structures) or, in one case, because the taxpayer leased the plant (see boot and shoe-making machinery leased by taxpayer).

51. We have removed these assets because their listing in a Commissioner's determination of the effective lives of assets is inappropriate. The schedule is confined to the determinations the Commissioner is authorised to make under sections 42-110 and 387-177 of the Act i.e., determinations specifying the effective life of assets.

52. Table C of the attached schedule lists the assets we have removed because no effective life is set for them.

Replacements

53. It has been a longstanding practice to permit taxpayers to treat the initial purchase of certain assets as not depreciable but to claim an immediate deduction for the cost of their replacement. The practice principally relates to low cost items that have very long or indeterminate lives, are difficult to keep track of, and are subject to frequent replacement through loss or breakage e.g., crockery.

54. Taxation Ruling IT 2685 contains approximately 100 entries for assets the cost of which is only deductible on a replacements basis. There are a further 17 assets where we offer the replacements basis as an alternative to an effective life write-off.

55. In 1991 an immediate write-off was introduced for assets costing $300 or less or having an effective life of less than 3 years. We considered that the replacements arrangement for assets in this category was no longer appropriate (see paragraph 63 of Taxation Ruling IT 2685).

56. The immediate deduction will not apply to plant acquired on or after 1 July 2000 except for small business taxpayers. For all other taxpayers, for plant acquired after 1 July 2000, it will be removed and replaced with a system that allows assets costing less than $1,000 to be pooled and written off over an effective life of 4 years using the diminishing value method (see Subdivision 42-M).

57. The Government has announced a Simplified Tax System for small business taxpayers to apply from 1 July 2001. That system will remove previous accelerated rates and the $300 immediate deduction. It will also allow eligible taxpayers who decide to use it an immediate write-off for any tangible depreciable asset which costs less than $1,000, and a pooling arrangement for tangible depreciable assets which have effective lives of less than 25 years (which can be depreciated at the rate of 30%).

58. For these reasons, the replacement basis for deductions will not be available for assets you first use (or install ready for use and held in reserve) for the purpose of producing assessable income after 30 June 2000.

59. We have completely removed replacement only assets. For those assets for which replacements are offered as an alternative, the effective life remains but we have removed the replacement option. A list of assets for which replacements used to apply appears in Table D of the attached schedule.

Loose tools

60. In Taxation Ruling IT 2685, under the 'building and construction industry' heading, we give loose tools an effective life of 5 years, with the option of using the replacement basis. Elsewhere, we simply list them as replacements and do not suggest an effective life.

61. In the schedule attached to this Ruling, we list loose tools in all cases as having an effective life of 5 years.

Division 42 statutory rates

62. There are two asset categories for which statutory rates have applied automatically without having to ascertain effective life. They are employee amenities and assets used for scientific research. For the reasons discussed below, these rates now have little or no application and we have, therefore, removed from the schedule the items to which they pertain. We have listed those items in Table E .

Employee amenities

63. Employee amenities are plant used mainly for providing clothing cupboards, first aid, rest-room or recreational facilities, meals or facilities for meals for employees or their children. Their depreciation rate is 33% prime cost and 50% diminishing value (see section 42-150 of the Act).

64. These rates are not linked to the effective life of the plant and they are clearly set out in the Act. They now only apply to small business taxpayers. For all other taxpayers, for plant they acquire or commence to construct after 11.45 am, by legal time in the ACT, on 21 September 1999, these rates have been removed and the depreciation rate is determined by the effective life of the plant.

65. For both of the reasons above, we have removed the entries relating to employee amenities. Taxpayers will need to work out the effective life of plant that is no longer covered by the statutory rate.

Scientific research

66. For plant used only for scientific research in the fields of natural or applied science the prime cost rate is 33% and diminishing value rate is 50% (see section 42-145 of the Act). However, these rates only apply to plant acquired before 1 July 1995. Therefore, we have also removed entries in the schedule relating to them.

Redundant assets

67. We have listed in Table F , which is for information purposes only, those assets in Taxation Ruling IT 2685 which we have so far identified as redundant.

68. We consider an asset is redundant if it is:

no longer used for income producing purposes (e.g., accounting machines, drays, wagons, buggies);
no longer manufactured (e.g., radiograms); or
in the process of being overtaken by technology (e.g., gramophone records, which have been largely replaced by compact discs).

69. If a taxpayer requires an effective life for an asset that we have removed on the basis that it is redundant, they can work out the effective life themselves.

Horticultural plants

70. A special write-off of the capital expenditure attributable to the establishment of a horticultural plant is available under Subdivision 387-C. The write-off rate depends on the plant's effective life.

71. Taxpayers have the choice of using the Commissioner's determination of effective life or of working out their own effective life (see section 387-175 of the Act). Prior to this Ruling, the Commissioner had not made any determinations of the effective lives of horticultural plants.

72. In determining the effective lives specified in the schedule attached to this Ruling, the Commissioner has used the definition of effective life prescribed for taxpayers who self-assess. That is, the effective life of a horticultural plant is the period for which the plant could reasonably be expected to be used for the purpose of producing assessable income in a horticulture business (see sections 387-170 and 387-175).

73. The attached schedule specifies the effective life for some of the most common commercially grown horticultural plants. An effective life has been specified for:

apples;
avocados;
citrus fruit;
mangoes; and
pears.

74. The methodology used to establish the effective life of horticultural plants involved the formulation of a questionnaire that went to establishing both the physical life of the plant and factors affecting the length of commercial production.

75. The questionnaire was sent to horticulturalists employed by relevant State Government Departments, industry/grower associations and individual growers.

76. We canvassed issues such as the varieties and location of plants grown, the age planted out, the years required to come into production and the number of years production was anticipated.

77. We also investigated crop management techniques. Two of the most important factors we considered were the processes of topworking and reworking which mean that trees are cut back to the stump. In both these cases we consider the effective life of the tree has ended. With reworking, where a new variety is grafted onto the old root system, we consider that a new plant has been established and a taxpayer is entitled to claim a deduction for the costs involved in that process on the basis that a new plant has been established with a new effective life.

78. Other factors which we considered, and which are reflected in the effective lives specified for horticultural plants, are the impact of consumer demand for new varieties and the move to higher density planting. Both of the factors have the ability to shorten commercial lives.

Date of effect of determinations for plant

79. The effective lives specified in the schedule attached to this Ruling apply to plant you first use (or install ready for use and hold in reserve) for the purpose of producing assessable income after 30 June 2000.

80. We chose this date of effect for two reasons: first, it matches the time when a depreciation deduction is first allowable (see sections 42-15, 42-100(2) and 42-110(2) of the Act) and secondly, it prevents taxpayers from gaining an advantage through bringing forward the purchase of capital assets under review.

81. It is important to understand how the date of acquisition of plant and its date of first use may each, independently, affect the amount of the deduction.

82. In the following examples, all the taxpayers chose to use the effective life specified by the Commissioner and none are small business taxpayers as defined in Subdivision 960-Q.

Example 1

83. John acquires an asset for $10,000 after 30 June 2000 and commences to use it for income producing purposes. If he chooses to adopt the effective life specified by the Commissioner, he must use the appropriate effective life specified in the schedule attached to this Ruling (and not the effective life specified in the determination attached to Taxation Ruling IT 2685).

84. His deduction is based on the effective life of the asset. It is worked out in accordance with the calculation formula in either subsection 42-160(3) (if he is using the diminishing value method) or subsection 42-165(2A) of the Act (if he is using the prime cost method).

Example 2

85. Betty acquired an asset on 10 September 1999. She uses it for private purposes prior to 30 June 2000 and then commences to use it for the purpose of producing assessable income for the first time after that date.

86. If she chooses to adopt the effective life specified by the Commissioner, she must use the effective life specified in the schedule attached to this Ruling (and not the effective life specified in the determination attached to Taxation Ruling IT 2685). She should then work out her deduction using the accelerated rates and calculation process that applied at the time of acquisition, 10 September 1999.

Consultation

87. We have consulted industry bodies and interested taxpayers during the course of the review. In addition, the items marked with an asterisk in the attached schedule have been reviewed by an independent panel comprising a representative from the Taxation Institute of Australia, the Corporate Taxpayers Association, The Treasury, The Australian Valuation Office and the Australian Taxation Office.

Detailed contents list

88. Below is a detailed table of contents for this draft Ruling:

  Paragraph
What this Ruling is about 1
Class of persons/arrangement 4
Date of effect 5
Previous Rulings 7
Explanations 9
Context of Commissioner's review 9
Basic Principles of Depreciation 15
How does the Commissioner determine the effective life of plant? 21
Market Value 24
Obsolescence 25
Use of the asset by different industries 30
Retention period 31
Scrapping or abandoning the asset 33
Working out your own effective life 35
Rates 38
Structure 41
How to use this schedule 44
Removal of items listed in Taxation Ruling IT 2685 48
Non depreciable assets 50
Replacements 53
Loose tools 60
Division 42 statutory rates 62
Employee amenities 63
Scientific research 66
Redundant assets 67
Horticultural plants 70
Date of effect of determinations for plant 79
Consultation 87
Detailed contents list 88
Your comments 89
Attachments page 16
Table A - Effective lives (Industry Categories) page 16
Table B - Effective lives (Asset Categories) page 39
Table C - No effective life set page 49
Table D - Replacements page 52
Table E - Statutory rates page 57
Table F - Redundancies page 58

Your comments

89. We invite you to comment on this draft Taxation Ruling. We are allowing 3 weeks for comments before we finalise the Ruling.

Comments by Date: 9 June 2000
Contact Officer: Helen Duffy
E-Mail Address: Helen.Duffy@ato.gov.au
Telephone: (07) 32135085
Facsimile: (07) 32136300
Address:

Box 10284 Adelaide St P.O.
Brisbane QLD 4000

Commissioner of Taxation
17 May 2000

Table A - Effective lives (Industry Categories)

ACCOMMODATION, CAFES AND RESTAURANTS (57100 to 57402)
ASSET LIFE (YEARS) ITEMS REVIEWED
Accommodation (57100)
Houses and Flats Let Furnished:    
   - Blinds, Venetian 20  
   - Electric clock 13 1/3  
   - Electric heater 10  
   - Garbage units (compacting) 6 2/3  
   - Refrigerators 13 1/3  
   - Stoves 20  
AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY AND FISHING (01110 to 04203)
ASSET LIFE (YEARS) ITEMS REVIEWED
Agriculture (01110 to 02200)
Agricultural implements and plant (general including station plant) 10  
Bacon bins (demountable pig confinement units):    
   - Galvanised iron components of structure 33 1/3  
   - Plant installed in structure 20  
Banana ripening plant 13 1/3  
Bee farming plant:    
   - Beehives 13 1/3  
   - Processing plant 20  
Bridges (wooden) 20  
Cotton sheds (humidification) 20  
Curing barns (tobacco, timber, peanut, corn or grain) 13 1/3  
Dairy farm plant (power): 20  
Fences:    
   - General (including wire and wire netting used in construction of fencing) 33 1/3  
   - Electric 20  
Fruit-growers plant:    
   - Dips, pans, spray pumps, etc 10  
   - Fumigation tents and machinery 10  
   - Hail netting:    
     -- Black (UV inhibited) 10  
     -- White or clear 5  
     -- Support poles, wires, high tensile cables 40  
   - Racks (dried fruit) 20  
   - Tecto applicator (citrus anti-fungal plant) 5  
Glass houses (metal-framed) 50  
Greenhouse 'igloo' components:    
   - Galvanised piping frames 20  
   - Fibreglass covering, electric fans and misted water spray equipment 6 2/3  
Harvester/Sweeper 6 2/3  
Headers, self propelled (combine harvesters) 6 2/3  
Hop growers plant:    
   - Hop picking machines 13 1/3  
   - Kilns 20  
Horse stalls (Breeze way Shed Row) 33 1/3  
Horticultural plants:    
   - Citrus:    
     -- Grapefruit 30 *
     -- Lemon 20 *
     -- Limes 20 *
     -- Mandarin 25 *
     -- Orange 30 *
   - Pome:    
     -- Apple 20 *
     -- Pear 25 *
   - Tropical:    
     -- Avocado 20 *
     -- Mango 30 *
Irrigation plant and equipment:    
   - Metal piping 13 1/3  
   - Other piping (including concrete channels but not earth channels) 20  
   - Other plant 20  
Levee banks and revetments 40  
   - Motor cycles (used for mustering, maintenance of fences, etc) 3  
Mushroom growers' plant    
   - Air conditioning plant 6 2/3  
     -- Buildings:    
       --- Peak heat, spawn running and growing rooms 10  
       --- Other:    
         ---- timber or steel frame 33 1/3  
         ---- brick, stone or concrete walls 50  
       --- Compost preparation plant 6 2/3  
       --- General plant (including spraying, watering and pumping equipment) 6 2/3  
       --- Growing trays 6 2/3  
Pea-viners, pea cleaners, vine and straw conveyors 10  
Peanut blanching plant:    
   - Air piping 20  
   - Blanchers 10  
   - Colour sorter (electronic) 10  
   - Control panel 20  
   - Cooling equipment (including control panel) 13 1/3  
   - Elevators 10  
   - Exhaust fans 20  
   - Fumigation equipment 10  
   - Pal boxes 3  
   - Plant water services 50  
   - Roaster and dryer 10  
   - Scales 20  
   - Storage surge bins 20  
   - Tipping unit 20  
   - Transformers 40  
   - Vibrating conveyors 10  
Poultry farmers plant (incubators) 20  
Sheep Farming Plant:    
   - Shearing machines 13 1/3  
   - Shearing stands (demountable) 10  
   - Sheep dips (concrete) 50  
   - Woolsheds:    
     -- with brick, stone or concrete walls 66 2/3  
     -- wood or iron walls 50  
Silos:    
   - Ancillary equipment 20  
   - Concrete 100  
   - Grain (iron) 33 1/3  
   - Other 33 1/3  
Stockyards, pens, lairages (abattoirs) 20  
Stud stock and thoroughbred horses 10  
Trellis 20  
Vegetable processing equipment 13 1/3  
Water tower (brick) 100  
Fishing (04110 to 04203)
Fish Farming Ponds (earth and clay) 20  
Fishing Plant:    
   - Boats 13 1/3  
   - Fish holding baskets 10  
   - Purse seine fishing net 5  
Pearling and Oyster Fishing Plant:    
   - Luggers (oyster fishing) 13 1/3  
   - Pearling boats 20  
   - Pumps 13 1/3  
Prawn farming ponds and plant 20  
CONSTRUCTION (41111 to 42590)
ASSET LIFE (YEARS) ITEMS REVIEWED
Bending machines (bar, angle or rod) 10  
Brick elevators (portable) 5  
Chain blocks, rod shears, jacks, etc 13 1/3  
Compressors 10  
Concreting plant:    
   - Batching plant:    
     -- Portable and demountable 6 2/3  
     -- Static 13 1/3  
   - Buggies or dumpers (motorised) 5  
   - Hoppers, skips and hoist buckets 10  
   - Immersion vibrators 4  
   - Mobile concrete pumping units 6 2/3  
   - Monorails 5  
   - Steel formwork, beams and props 10  
   - Trowelling machines 4  
   - Vibrating screeders 4  
Cranes (Mobile):    
   - Light and medium, 6 2/3  
   - Heavy (over 15 tons/15.24 tonnes lift) 10  
   - Tower and hoists 10  
Derricks 13 1/3  
Earth moving plant and heavy equipment 6 2/3  
Grinding and milling machines 3  
Levels, dumpy, etc 13 1/3  
Lift slab equipment 5  
Pumps 10  
Road-making Plant:    
   - Air compressors and motors 10  
   - Crushers and bins 10  
   - General asphalt plant 10  
   - Road graders and rollers 6 2/3  
Saw benches (portable) 13 1/3  
Welding units (portable):    
   - Light type 6 2/3  
   - Medium and other types 10  
   - Winches 13 1/3  
CULTURAL AND RECREATIONAL SERVICES (91110 to 93302)
ASSET LIFE (YEARS) ITEMS REVIEWED
Libraries, Museums, the Arts and Parks and Gardens (92100 to 92590)
Libraries (where taxpayers do not deal with their lending stock in trading account):    
   - Circulating (all classes of books) 10  
   - Music lending 6 2/3  
Lion Park:    
   - Animal cages and sheds 20  
   - Animal huts 10  
Museum Displays in Aircraft/War Museums 100  
Musical Instruments, etc:    
   - Amplifying equipment, microphones 6 2/3  
   - Band instruments 20  
   - Band uniforms 10  
   - Electric guitars 10  
   - Music stands 20  
   - Organs (mechanical) 10  
   - Pianos 20  
Planetarium dome 33 1/3  
Sea Life Centre:    
   - Fibreglass aquarium tanks 20  
   - Ketch 13 1/3  
   - TV audio system 10  
Film, Video, Radio and Television Services (91110 to 91220)
Audition Units 10  
Newsreel Equipment:    
   - Batteries 13 1/3  
   - Biographs 10  
   - Cameras (sound) 10  
   - Electric motors 20  
   - Film editing equipment 10  
   - Instruments 13 1/3  
   - Insulated cables 20  
   - Meters 13 1/3  
   - Microphones 10  
   - Radio sets and accessories 10  
   - Sound equipment 10  
   - Transformers 40  
Radio and Television Broadcasting Equipment:    
   - Computer automated 10  
   - General plant 6 2/3  
   - Steel Masts 40  
Theatre, Picture Theatre, etc, Plant and Equipment:    
   - Accessories (theatrical wigs, costumes, etc) 5  
   - Cinemascope installations:    
     -- Equipment associated with screen (including tubular steel frame, electric motor and ball-bearing tracks) 20  
     -- Screen facing 5  
   - Sound equipment 10  
   - Ventilating plant 20  
Sport, Gambling and Other Recreation Services (93111 to 93302)
Amusement Machines and Equipment:    
   - Billiard tables 40  
   - Eight Ball table (coin operated pool tables) 10  
   - Electric dodgems:    
     -- Cars (including internal electric motors and trolley rods) 3  
     -- Electrical and structural equipment providing power to drive the cars 20  
   - Hot air balloons:    
     -- Envelope and cane basket 3  
     -- Associated equipment (inflator fan, burner unit, fuel cylinders) 10  
   - Merry-Go-Rounds:    
     -- If fixed and protected from weather 20  
     -- Others 13 1/3  
   - Mini Wheel 10  
   - Slot machines 5  
   - Super slides 10  
   - Waterslide and associated equipment 20  
   - Wild cat 10  
   - Zipper 10  
Bowling Centres (plant and equipment)    
   - Bowling alleys (timber including ball return tracks, gutters, pit signals and terminals) 13 1/3  
   - Bowling balls 5  
   - Masking units 10  
   - Pin setters and pin spotters 10  
   - Other equipment 13 1/3  
Golf Courses (miniature):    
   - Lighting plant, electric motors, moving parts 20  
   - Lighting standards 40  
   - Carpets on stairways 3  
Gymnasium Equipment 10  
Inflatable Amusements 2  
Juke Boxes 10  
Poker Machines 5  
Racehorses 10  
Racing Cars 2  
Shuffle Boards 10  
Skating Rink Plant:    
   - Fittings (open air) 20  
   - General freezing plant and equipment 13 1/3  
   - Hired ice skating boots 5  
   - Roller skates 5  
   - Surface (synthetic panels) 10  
Ski Equipment (skis, boots and stocks for hiring to public) 3  
Ski Maintenance Machine 13 1/3  
Slot Machines 5  
Space Theatre Dome 33 1/3  
Tennis Court Surface:    
   - Bitumen 20  
   - Plexipave 20  
   - Synthetic lawn 10  
Totalisator:    
   - Computer equipment 10  
   - Ancillary equipment (eg ticket issuing machines) 13 1/3  
Trampolines 10  
ELECTRICITY, GAS AND WATER SUPPLY (36100 to 37020)
ASSET LIFE (YEARS) ITEMS REVIEWED
Electricity and gas supply (36100 to 36200)
Electrical Machinery and Equipment:    
   - Accumulators and storage batteries 13 1/3  
   - Alternators (motor-generators) 20  
   - Broadcasting equipment (computer automated) 10  
   - Choke coils 40  
   - Condensers 20  
   - Distributing centres (switch gear) 20  
   - Electric transmission lines 50  
   - Engines, condensers, pumps 20  
   - Generators (motor) 20  
   - Hand tools and loose plant 5  
   - House installations (owned by electricity suppliers) 20  
   - Indicators (fixed and portable) 13 1/3  
   - Instruments 13 1/3  
   - Lighting plant 20  
   - Lighting units (fluorescent) 20  
   - Lightning arresters 50  
   - Machinery not otherwise specified 20  
   - Meters 13 1/3  
   - Power factor control 20  
   - Power station plant 20  
   - Standards, iron or steel (including brackets and cross arms) 40  
   - Starting gear, including compensators, switches, etc 20  
   - Storage batteries 13 1/3  
   - Switchboards 20  
   - Testing apparatus 13 1/3  
   - Transformer boxes 50  
   - Transformers (static) 50  
Water supply, sewerage and drainage services (37010 to 37020)
Moulds (steel moulds for the production of castings for sewage treatment plant) 5  
Sewage Treatment Plant 20  
Water Mains 50  
Kindergarten Furniture and Play Equipment 5  
FINANCE AND INSURANCE (73100 to75200)
ASSET LIFE (YEARS) ITEMS REVIEWED
Banks:    
   - Demountable strongrooms 100  
   - Portable safes 40  
   - Strongroom doors 100  
HEALTH AND COMMUNITY SERVICES (36110 to 87290)
ASSET LIFE (YEARS) ITEMS REVIEWED
Dentists Plant:    
   - Carpets 10  
   - Electric motors 20  
   - High speed equipment:    
     -- Air operated dental drilling equipment 10  
     -- Air compressors (independent) 20  
   - Instruments and plant (other than high speed equipment) 20  
Medical Plant:    
   - Blood count machine 5  
   - Camera (large field of view) 6 2/3  
   - Cast setter 10  
   - Cat scanner 6 2/3  
   - Coronary investigation unit 10  
   - Defibrillator equipment 10  
   - Diathermy plant (including screening):    
     -- Generally 13 1/3  
     -- Used for hire 10  
   - Electro-cardiographs:    
     -- Generally 20  
     -- Portable (personal) 3  
     -- Units (battery operated) used for hire 10  
   - Fibreoptic endoscopes and associated light source equipment 5  
   - High frequency current machines (surgical) 13 1/3  
   - Hospital:    
     -- Beds (including electric) 13 1/3  
     -- Furniture 20  
   - Lampsetting casts 10  
   - Medical analyser systems 6 2/3  
   - Nuclear medicine equipment 6 2/3  
   - Operating tables 13 1/3  
   - Ophthalmic surgeons plant 10  
   - Other plant (not being in the nature of instruments) 13 1/3  
   - Patient monitoring equipment 10  
   - Pendants (service point in operating theatres for other equipment) 13 1/3  
   - Radiological equipment 10  
   - Radium plaques and needles 10  
   - Silver recovery unit 10  
   - Sonograph gamma ray sterilization plant 13 1/3  
   - Sterlization plant:    
     -- Compressor 20  
     -- Gamma radiation unit 10  
     -- Cell block 100  
   - Tomographic whole body scanner 6 2/3  
   - Ultra-sound unit 10  
   - Ventilators 10  
   - Vision analyser computer 5  
   - Xerography unit 10  
   - X-ray equipment:    
     -- Associated equipment 10  
     -- Echo cardiographic 6 2/3  
   - General (including screening and Rontgen Ray) 13 1/3  
   - Image intensifier with TV chain and recording unit 6 2/3  
     -- Portable units 10  
   - Processor and daylight loading equipment 10  
     -- Scanner 6 2/3  
     -- Spectrometer system 10  
Nursing Home:    
   - Commode 13 1/3  
   - Nurse call equipment 20  
   - Scales 20  
   - Shower chairs 10  
   - Trolleys 13 1/3  
Veterinarys Plant (mobile clinic designed for carriage on utility or truck) 13 1/3  
MANUFACTURING (21110 to 29490)
ASSET LIFE (YEARS) ITEMS REVIEWED
Food, beverage and tobacco manufacturing (21110 to 21900)
Aerated Water Plant (general plant) 13 1/3  
Bacon Manufacture:    
   - Bacon Bins (demountable pig confinement units):    
   - Galvanised iron components of structure 33 1/3  
     -- Plant installed in structure 20  
   - Curing Plant:    
     -- Fixtures (including overhead tracking) 20  
     -- Other 13 1/3  
   - Factory Building (40 percent of the total cost of the building is regarded as an integral part of plant and machinery):    
     -- Brick, stone or concrete structure 100  
     -- Wooden structure 20  
Bakers Plant:    
   - General plant 13 1/3  
   - Slicing and wrapping machines 10  
Biscuit-making Plant 13 1/3  
Bread Manufacture:    
   - General plant 12  
   - Slicing and wrapping machines 10  
Brewery Plant:    
   - General plant 20  
   - Pipes and piping:    
     -- Condenser 20  
     -- Expansion 40  
     -- Other 40  
Butchers Plant 20  
Butter Factory Plant:    
   - Ammonia coils for cooling chambers 10  
   - Ammonia condensing coils 8  
   - Brine tanks 8  
   - Butter workers 6 2/3  
   - Churns 6 2/3  
   - Conveyors (chain for conveying boxed butter) 20  
   - Cream tanks 10  
   - Curing barns bulk 13 1/3  
   - Factory Building (66 2/3 percent of the total cost of the building is regarded as an integral part of plant and machinery):    
     -- Brick or concrete structure 100  
     -- Wooden structure 20  
   - Ice making plant 13 1/3  
   - Pasteurising plant:    
     -- Flash 6 2/3  
   - Batch including kettles and Kay pasteurisers 8  
   - Power plant:    
     -- Electric generators and motors, etc 20  
     -- Steam boilers 20  
   - Power transmission:    
     -- Conveyors 20  
     -- Piping 13 1/3  
     -- Shafting and pulleys 20  
   - Pumps (brine and cream) 10  
   - Tanks of hot and coldwater (wood or iron) 20  
   - Testing apparatus 20  
   - Water cooling and aerating plant 8  
   - Weighing scales 20  
Cake-making Plant 20  
Cheese-making Plant    
   - Pasteurising kettles and Kay pasteurisers 8  
   - Cheese treatment plant 10  
Cigarette Paper Cutting and Folding Plant 10  
Confectioners' Machinery 20  
Distillery Plant (brandy etc) 13 1/3  
Flour-milling Plant:    
   - Bins (wooden) 33 1/3  
   - General plant 13 1/3  
   - Silos (steel and concrete) 100  
Fruit and Vegetable Canning Plant 20  
Jam-making Plant 20  
Maltsters Plant:    
   - Bins (wooden) 33 1/3  
   - General plant 13 1/3  
   - Silos (steel and concrete) 100  
Meat Works Plant:    
   - Building (66 2/3 per cent of the total cost of the building (including slaughter houses, chillers, freezing rooms, cooling rooms, blast tunnels, boning and packing rooms) is regarded as an integral part of plant and machinery):    
     -- Brick, stone and concrete structures 100  
     -- Wooden structures 20  
   - Stock-yards, pens and lairages (both timber and steel, but excluding concrete stockyard floors) 20  
   - General plant 13 1/3  
Milk Treatment Plant:    
   - Bottling plant:    
     -- Carton conveyors 10  
     -- Cool room 20  
     -- Stacker cranes 10  
   - Dried milk plant 13 1/3  
   - Processing plant 10  
   - Receiving plant 20  
   - Refrigeration plant 13 1/3  
Pasta Manufacturing and Related Freezing Equipment 10  
Poultry Processing Plant:    
   - Conveyor systems and troughing 20  
   - Refrigeration plant and boiler 10  
   - General plant 13 1/3  
Rice Milling Plant 13 1/3  
Sugar Mills 13 1/3  
Tobacco Kilns 20  
Wine-making Machinery 20  
Metal and Metal Product Manufacturing (27110 to 27690)
Designs used in connection with stamping decorative steel and iron work 40  
Die Casters Plant:    
   - Aluminium 3  
   - Die casting furnaces 10  
   - Die casting machines and ancillary hydraulic plant 13 1/3  
   - Forging stainless steel elbows 5  
   - General plant 20  
   - Overall rate (alternative to the above) 13 1/3  
   - Tooling in metal trade 4 1/2  
Foundry Plant:    
   - Converters 10  
   - Furnaces 10  
   - Laboratory 20  
   - Ladles 10  
   - Loose tools 5  
   - Machine tools 20  
   - Machinery and plant 20  
   - Moulding boxes 10  
   - Patterns 40  
   - Plant and tools (excluding furnaces, converter and ladles) 13 1/3  
   - Rolling mill engines 13 1/3  
Iron and Steel Industry:    
   - Granulators 13 1/3  
   - Slag pots 3  
Metal Crushing Plant (core fragmentised) 13 1/3  
Metal Forming Plant:    
   - Dies and tooling 4 1/2  
   - Roll forming dies 10  
   - Strip roll forming machines 20  
Nail Manufacturing Plant 20  
Smelting Plant 8  
Spring Manufacturers Plant:    
   - Cooling furnaces 10  
   - Power presses, rotary cambering, scale testing and scragging machines 20  
Stamping Blocks (used for designs of decorative steel and iron work) 20  
Tank Manufacturing Plant 20  
Tinsmiths Plant 20  
Non-metallic mineral product manufacturing (26100 to 26400)
Brickmaking Plant:    
   - Automatic handling equipment 10  
   - Brick kilns and pre kilns 13 1/3  
   - Cement brick plant 13 1/3  
   - Dryers 13 1/3  
   - General plant 10  
Cement-making Plant:    
   - General plant (eg rotary mixing machines) 13 1/3  
   - Raw slurry storage bins 66 2/3  
   - Slurry blending silos 50  
   - Slurry mixing silos 50  
Concrete Pipe Manufacturing Plant 13 1/3  
Glass Bottle Manufacturing Plant 13 1/3  
Monumental Masons Plant 13 1/3  
Plaster Manufacturing Plant 8  
Pottery Plant 20  
Slate Works Plant 20  
Tile Manufacturing Plant (cement and concrete):    
   - General plant 10  
   - Pallets (aluminium used in extrusion process) 5  
Other Manufacturing (28310 to 28590) and (29110 to 29490)
Bonemilling Plant (bagging machines) 20  
Broom and Brush Manufacturing Plant 13 1/3  
Clothes Peg Manufacturing Plant 13 1/3  
Cork Manufacturers Plant 10  
Engineering Works Machinery Installed 20  
Eucalyptus Oil Plant:    
   - Stills (coolers) 40  
   - Tanks 40  
Furniture-making Plant 13 1/3  
Jewellers Plant 10  
Linseed Oil Manufacturing Plant 13 1/3  
Oxygen Manufacturing Plant 13 1/3  
Salt Manufacturing and Refining Plant 10  
Umbrella Manufacturers Plant:    
   - Cutting boards 10  
   - Lathes 13 1/3  
   - Motors 20  
Watchmakers Plant 10  
Petroleum, coal, chemical and associated product manufacturing (25100 to 25660)
Boot and Shoe Polish Manufacturing Plant 13 1/3  
Chemical Manufacturing Plant:    
   - General plant 13 1/3  
   - Organic Peroxides Explosion (cell block) 20  
Distillery (oil and tar) Plant 13 1/3  
Explosive Manufacturing and Chemical Plant 13 1/3  
Fertiliser Manufacturing Plant 20  
Gelatine and Glue Manufacturing Plant 13 1/3  
Ink Factory Plant 20  
Plastic Industry:    
   - Blow moulders 13 1/3  
   - Dies 4  
   - General plant 20  
   - Hydraulic presses, injection moulding machines, extrusion machines and bottle blowing machines 13 1/3  
   - Moulds:    
     -- Glass blowing 2  
     -- High usage 5  
     -- Low usage 10  
     -- Once only 1  
Rubber Manufacturers Plant:    
   - Moulds 5  
   - Process plant 13 1/3  
Sulphuric Acid Plant:    
   - Acid chambers (irrespective of raw material used) 20  
   - Plant:    
     -- Where pyrites used in manufacture of the acid 10  
Where natural sulphur (brimstone) so used 13 1/3  
Printing, publishing and recorded media (24110 to 24309)
Bookbinding Plant and Machinery 20  
Newspaper Wrapping Machines 10  
Printers Plant and Machinery:    
   - Dryers automatic and semi-automatic 6 2/3  
   - Dryers manual 20  
   - Electronic engraving machines 10  
   - Graphic arts plant:    
     -- Colour scanners 10  
     -- Guillotines 10  
     -- Offset printers 10  
     -- Platemaking apparatus 10  
   - Machinery 13 1/3  
   - Photo-typesetting plant (computerised) 5  
   - Printing machines incorporating electronic memory units 10  
   - Screen printing plant (automatic and semi-automatic, including dryers) 6 2/3  
   - Type 6 2/3  
Stationers Manufacturing Plant 13 1/3  
Textile, clothing, footwear and leather manufacturing (22110 to 22620)
Boot and Shoe-making Machinery:    
   - Machinery and general plant 13 1/3  
   - Moulds for plastic heels 3  
   - Vulcanising Moulds 5  
Clothing and Millinery Manufacturing Plant:    
   - Hat Manufacturing Plant and Machinery 13 1/3  
   - Sewing Machines 10  
   - General plant 20  
Cotton Manufacturers Machinery:    
   - Conveyors 10  
   - Engines, gas 20  
   - Gas producer plant 13 1/3  
   - Gins 10  
Flock Manufacturing Plant:    
   - General plant 20  
   - Carding machines 13 1/3  
Knitting Machines 13 1/3  
Rope and Twine Manufacturers Plant 20  
Tanners Plant:    
   - General plant 20  
   - Modern plant used in wet process 13 1/3  
Weaving Machinery (silk and cotton) 13 1/3  
Wool Dumping Machinery 13 1/3  
Wool Scouring Machinery 16 2/3  
Woollen Manufacturers Machinery 16 2/3  
Transport Equipment and Industrial Machinery Manufacturing (28110 to 28290) and (28610 to28690)
Motor Cycle Building Plant 10  
Motor Vehicle Manufacturing Plant:    
   - Basic machinery 10  
   - Tooling (ie jigs, dies, press tools and specialty attachments such as working heads and work-holding tools) 3  
Piston Ring Manufacturing Plant:    
   - Engineering works plant 20  
   - Motors 20  
   - Overhead gear, equipment, belting, etc 20  
   - Precision machines 13 1/3  
Saw-making Plant 20  
Wood and paper product manufacturing (23110 to23390)
Box and Carton (Cardboard) Makers Plant 13 1/3  
Case-making Plant 13 1/3  
Container (metal, solid or corrugated fibre) Makers Plant 10  
Frame (Picture) Manufacturing Plant 13 1/3  
Joinery Plant 13 1/3  
Moulding Machinery (wood) 13 1/3  
Timber, Firewood and Sawmilling Plant:    
   - Electric light fittings 20  
   - Electric motors 20  
   - Engines and boilers 13 1/3  
   - Kilns (timber drying) 10  
   - Locomotives 20  
   - Plant and machinery 10  
   - Railway rolling stock 13 1/3  
   - Saws:    
     -- Mobile 8  
   - Steam radiators 20  
   - Telephone lines (instruments) 20  
   - Water conservation (piping, windmills, pumping machinery) 20  
[NOTE: Effective lives for all timber, firewood and sawmilling plant used for haulage have been fixed in this case on account of the mountainous nature of the country usually exploited. Longer period should usually be expected in flat country.]    
Wood Working Plant 13 1/3  
MINING (11010 to 15200)
ASSET LIFE (YEARS) ITEMS REVIEWED
Coal Mining and Metal Ore Mining (11010 to 110202) and (13110 to 13190)
Coal hulks 16 2/3  
Continuous mining machines 8  
Conveyor units:    
   - Rubber conveyor belts 6 2/3  
   - Idlers 8  
   - Motor, drive and structure of conveyor system 13 1/3  
Dragline bucket 10  
Dragline used in coal mining 20  
Dredging Machinery 13 1/3  
Gangways 40  
General plant 13 1/3  
Initial containment areas 20  
Jetties and plant thereon (in exposed places)    
   - Jetties 20  
   - Plant 13 1/3  
Mechanical coal mining plant (comprising cutters, loaders and shuttle-cars) 8  
Mine cars 10  
Pumps (used in mines and coal washing plant) 20  
Quarrying Plant and Machinery 10  
Rolling stock (trucks for carriage of coal) 40  
Shovels:    
   - Power (high speed - used in open-cut mines) 8  
Skips in coal mines 13 1/3  
Stone Crushing Plant 10  
Tailings dams 20  
Workshop plant 20  
Oil and Gas Extraction (12000)
Natural Gas Pipeline 20  
Oil Companies Plant and Machinery:    
   - Aircraft refuelling equipment 10  
   - Bunds (other than formed with earth) 100  
   - Distilling (oil and tar) plant 13 1/3  
   - Drums 4  
   - Effluent separators (concrete) 40  
   - General plant 20  
   - Kerbside pumps 10  
   - Kerbside tanks 10  
   - Laboratory equipment 20  
   - Lighters and other craft:    
     -- Iron and steel 20  
     -- Wooden 20  
   - Mudlakes 10  
   - Pipelines 13 1/3  
   - Port loading facility foundation 50  
   - Production plant:    
     -- Onshore 13 1/3  
     -- Offshore:    
       --- Accommodation modules on fixed platforms 20  
       --- Helidecks on fixed platforms 20  
       --- Platform jackets 20  
       --- Other production facilities and plant not specifically listed 10  
   - Pumps, motor and control gear and fittings (apart from major units) 13 1/3  
   - Rail tank cars 20  
   - Railway and tramway lines and permanent way 20  
   - Refining plant (distillation and cracking units, reformers, hydrofiners, alkylation purification and other comparable specialised refining units) 10  
   - Shaft drilling equipment 5  
   - Tanks (including crude, intermediate and finished product tanks) (Effective life to be 17 years for residual oil tanks when the residual oil comes from a source producing oil of high sulphur content.) 20  
   - Tanks (underground) 13 1/3  
   - Tank wagons 6 2/3  
   - Trade utensils (including sales and garage equipment) 13 1/3  
   - Trailers and carts 10  
   - Wharves and jetties (concrete or timber) 40  
Oil Exploration Plant and Equipment:    
   - Oil rigs (off-shore drilling) and ancillary equipment 10  
   - Oil search equipment (used for geophysical surveys in remote areas):    
     -- Drilling plant and down-hole equipment 5  
     -- General plant and equipment 10  
     -- Mobile units and vehicles (other than passenger cars) 5  
     -- Other survey equipment 10  
     -- Portable sleeping and messing huts 5  
     -- Seismic survey equipment 5  
   - Vessel (supply) 13 1/3  
PERSONAL AND OTHER SERVICES (95110 to 97000)
ASSET LIFE (YEARS) ITEMS REVIEWED
Cleaners Plant:    
   - Electronic floor polishers 10  
Dry Cleaning Plant 10  
Funeral Directors Plant 20  
Hairdressers Plant (including, partitions, cubicles, neon lighting tubes and wash basins) 20  
Laundry plant:    
   - General plant 10  
   - Washing machines 6 2/3  
Photographers Plant:    
   - Automatic film processing machine 6 2/3  
   - Cameras:    
     -- Used for street photography 4  
   - Other (including lenses, electronic flash units, enlargers, etc.) 10  
   - Dark rooms (demountable not integral part of building) 20  
Photo Engraving Plant:    
   - Automatic (dark room) cameras 10  
   - Power operated proofing presses 13 1/3  
   - General plant 20  
   - Powderless etching machines 10  
Photo Lab (one hour service) 10  
PROPERTY AND BUSINESS SERVICES (77110 to 78690)
ASSET LIFE (YEARS) ITEMS REVIEWED
Surveyors' Instruments:    
   - Geodimeter (electronic) 10  
   - Laser Beam Survey Equipment 10  
   - Levels 20  
   - Stereoplotters (for making surveys from aerial photography etc) 10  
   - Theodolites 20  
RETAIL TRADE (51100 to 53295)
ASSET LIFE (YEARS) ITEMS REVIEWED
Shops:    
   - Aluminium roller grilles 13 1/3  
   - Fittings 20  
Food Retailing (51211 to 51290)
Butchers Plant 20  
Motor vehicle retailing and services (53110 to 53295)
Motor Garage Equipment:    
   - Automatic car-washing machines 6 2/3  
   - Automotive parts cleaner:    
     -- Pump 4  
     -- Drum 10  
   - Motor vehicle repairing plant and machinery 10  
   - Self-service pump installations (comprising pump and coin unit) 10  
Personal and household good retailing (52511 to 52597)
   - Mannequin Display Figures 10  
TRANSPORT AND STORAGE (61100 to 67090)
ASSET LIFE (YEARS) ITEMS REVIEWED
Air and Space Transport (64010)
Aircraft Industry:    
   - Aircraft:    
     -- General use 8  
     -- Gliders 10  
   - Aircraft testing equipment 13 1/3  
   - Containers, air cargo (used to transport goods by air) 5 *
   - Flight simulators 8  
   - General plant and machinery 20  
   - Hangar fixtures and fittings 20  
   - Link trainers 8  
   - Plant subject to excessive corrosion 10  
   - Precision machines and plant 10  
Rail Transport (62000)
   - Containers, transportable (used to transport goods by road, rail and sea) 10 *
Electric Railway:    
   - Bridge Works:    
     -- Brick, stone or concrete 100  
     -- Other 33 1/3  
   - Electric Transmission Lines 13 1/3  
   - Supporting structures (standards etc):    
     -- Concrete, brick or stone 100  
     -- Iron or steel 40  
   - Switch gear 20  
   - Track structure (sleepers, rail, ballast, etc) 20  
Railway Track (tamping machines) 10  
Rolling Stock:    
   - Carriages:    
     -- Country passenger service 20  
     -- Suburban passenger service 13 1/3  
   - Locomotives:    
     -- Country passenger service 20  
     -- Mining and industry 13 1/3  
     -- Suburban passenger service 13 1/3  
   - Trucks, wagons etc:    
     -- General haulage 10  
     -- Used on tram lines 40  
     -- Used on timber-getters railways 10  
Road Transport (61210 to 61232)
   - Containers, transportable (used to transport goods by road, rail and sea) 10 *
Taxis 4  
Water Transport (63010 to 63030)
Boats, Ships, Lighters, etc:    
   - Boats (motor, rowing and sailing) 13 1/3  
   - Bulk carriers 16  
   - Container ships 16  
   - Ferry steamers 20  
   - Flexible barges (collapsible bag type) 6 2/3  
   - Hovercraft 5  
   - Launches 20  
   - Lighters 20  
   - Lighters (coal - wooden, iron or steel) 16 2/3  
   - Mini-submarine 13 1/3  
   - Offshore Supply Vessels 13 1/3  
   - Punts and rafts 20  
   - Roll-on/roll-off ships 16  
   - Ships and steamers 20  
   - Slips and standing ways 20  
   - Surf boats, salvage 16 2/3  
   - Tankers (engaged primarily and principally in the tanker trade) 16  
   - Trawler 13 1/3  
   - Tugs 20  
Materials Handling Plant and Equipment:    
   - Container port loading facilities:    
     -- Portainer cranes 20  
     -- Straddle carriers 5  
   - Containers, transportable (used to transport goods by road, rail and sea) 10 *
   - Conveyors (production or freight handling):    
     -- Belts (rubber or vinyl) 6 2/3  
     -- Overhead production lines 10  
     -- Rollers (static or movable) 10  
   - Pallets 5  
   - Racks, stillages, trollies and baskets 10  
   - Refrigeration equipment:    
     -- Clip-on, integrally mounted or static 10  
Salvage Machinery:    
   - Boilers, vertical 40  
   - Engine hoisting 40  
   - Pumps:    
     -- Centrifugal, direct acting, and connections 40  
     -- Duplex boiler feed 40  
Stevedoring Plant (coal trimming machines) 6 2/3  

Table B - Effective lives (Asset Categories)

A
ASSET LIFE (YEARS) ITEMS REVIEWED
   - Advertising Samples and Designs (for decorative steel and iron work) 40  
   - Advertising Signs:    
   - Billboards (hoarding) 20  
   - Roller board (moving surface) 6 2/3  
   - Solar powered (real estate signs) 13 1/3  
Air-conditioning Plant:    
   - Central type (including ducting and vents) 13 1/3  
     -- Structural alterations and additions associated with the installation of this plant which forms an integral part of it 100  
   - Room units 10  
   - Solar energy powered 13 1/3  
Aircraft:    
   - Aeroplanes and helicopters:    
     -- General use 8  
     -- Used predominantly for agricultural spraying or dusting 4  
   - Gliders/sailplanes 10  
Alarms 20  
Amenities Provided For Employees (sanitary ware, etc., forming part of toilet accommodation or washing facilities) 20  
   - Art Works 100  
B
ASSET LIFE (YEARS) ITEMS REVIEWED
Battery Chargers 20  
Beverage Dispensing Units:    
   - Tea and coffee dispensers 6 2/3  
   - Refrigerated fruit juice dispensers 10  
Bicycles 10  
Binoculars 10  
Boilers 20  
Boom Gates 10  
Bores 13 1/3  
Boring Drill (rotary mole, underground) 3 1/3  
Boring Plant 10  
Bottle Washing Machine 10  
Bowser Machines (including self service) 10  
Bowser Tanks (underground) 13 1/3  
Buildings:    
   - To the extent that they form an integral part of plant and machinery:    
     -- Brick, stone or concrete structures 100  
     -- Gantries 33 1/3  
     -- Other structures 33 1/3  
   - Freezing Works:    
     -- Brick, stone or concrete structure 100  
     -- Wholly wooden structure 20  
   - Primary Production, Forestry and Pearling Industries:    
     -- Non-residential:    
       --- With brick, stone or concrete walls 50  
       --- With wood and/or iron walls 33  
Bulk Liquid Bags 3  
Bulldozers 6 2/3  
Bundy Machines 13 1/3  
C
ASSET LIFE (YEARS) ITEMS REVIEWED
Cables and Wires    
   - Overhead:    
     -- Bare 50  
     -- Insulated 20  
   - Underground 50  
Calculators 10  
Cameras:    
   - Generally (including lenses, electronic flash units, enlargers, etc.) 10  
   - Used for street photography 4  
Caravans:    
   - Generally 6 2/3  
   - Used only within the confines of a caravan park 10  
Car Parking (hydraulic elevated platforms and hoists including control equipment) 10  
Carpets:    
   - In business places, picture theatres, hotels, etc 5  
   - In houses let furnished 10  
   - In professional chambers 10  
   - In ten-pin bowling centres 4  
Cash Registers:    
   - General 10  
   - Programmable or multi functional 6 2/3  
Casks:    
   - Stainless steel 10  
   - Other 13 1/3  
Chemical Analyser Equipment (automatic) 10  
Chimney Stacks and Flues (concrete stacks in heavy industry qualifying as 'plant') 50  
Coffee Making Machines (espresso) 13 1/3  
Compressors    
   - Air and oxygen 20  
   - Ammonia:    
     -- Horizontal 20  
     -- Vertical 13 1/3  
Computers:    
   - Generally 4 *
   - Free access floors in computer rooms 50  
   - Laptops 3 *
Concrete Mixers 10  
Concrete Transit Mixers (mixing bowl, separate motor and drive mechanism) 6 2/3  
Containers (metal, for liquefied petroleum gas) 13 1/3  
Cranes:    
   - Electrical or otherwise 20  
   - Gantries 33 1/3  
Crates 4  
Crushing Plant (stone) 10  
Curing Barns (galvanised steel and marine ply) 13 1/3  
Curtains and Drapes 6 2/3  
D
ASSET LIFE (YEARS) ITEMS REVIEWED
Dams (not being earth tanks) 40  
Docks (floating) 20  
Dredges 20  
E
ASSET LIFE (YEARS) ITEMS REVIEWED
Engines 20  
Escalators (machinery and their moving parts) 16 2/3  
F
ASSET LIFE (YEARS) ITEMS REVIEWED
Fences:    
   - Electric 20  
   - Wire mesh (demountable used for partitioning purposes) 20  
Fire Control and Alarm Systems:    
   - Alarm, hoses and nozzles 20  
   - Automatic fire sprinklers 20  
   - Fire extinguishers 13 1/3  
   - Water services 50  
Floor Coverings (linoleum and vinyl) 10  
Fogging Machines (insecticide) 8  
Foundation of plant and machinery which forms an integral part of the plant and machinery 50  
Furniture and Fittings 13 1/3  
G
ASSET LIFE (YEARS) ITEMS REVIEWED
Galvanised Plant 10  
Garbage Bins 6 2/3  
Gas Cylinders LPG 13 1/3  
Grinding Machine (surface) 10  
H
ASSET LIFE (YEARS) ITEMS REVIEWED
Hand Dryers (electrically operated) 10  
Heating Units (electronic) 10  
Hot Water Installations (on whole installation including boilers and, where installed, pumps) 20  
I
ASSET LIFE (YEARS) ITEMS REVIEWED
Ice-making Machinery    
   - Condensers 13 1/3  
   - Expansion pipes 40  
   - General machinery 13 1/3  
   - Ice moulds 5  
Imprinters (charge card) 6 2/3  
Incinerettes (gas or electrically fired) 20  
Industrial Sweeper 6 2/3  
Industrial Trailers (relocatable) 10  
Intercom System (pipe-in music system) 8 1/3  
J
ASSET LIFE (YEARS) ITEMS REVIEWED
Jet Ski 4  
Jetties (boat shed) 40  
Judges' Robes:    
   - Court dress for ceremonial occasions 5  
   - Other robes 13 1/3  
K
ASSET LIFE (YEARS) ITEMS REVIEWED
Kilns:    
   - Brick 20  
   - Charcoal burning 20  
   - Rapid fire shuttle type (used in the manufacture of ceramic tiles) 13 1/3  
L
ASSET LIFE (YEARS) ITEMS REVIEWED
Laboratory Equipment 13 1/3  
Laser Beam Construction Tools 10  
Laser Cutting Machine:    
   - Workhandler 10  
   - Industrial laser 5  
   - CNC control 5  
   - Water chiller 5  
Laser Typesetting 5  
Lathes:    
   - Computer controlled 10  
   - Engineering works (machinery installed) 20  
   - Wood working plant 13 1/3  
Lawn Mower:    
   - Motor 6 2/3  
   - Self propelled 5  
Lens (optical) 10  
Letter Boxes (aluminium, nylon, brass) 40  
Letter Inserter (automatic) 10  
Library (professional) 10  
Lift:    
   - Boom 3  
   - Scissor 3  
Lifts and Elevators:    
   - Electric 16 2/3  
   - Hydraulic 20  
Lighting Control System (microprocessor based) 5  
Lighting Plant (electric) 20  
Lighting System (fluorescent) 20  
Livestock (working beasts, beasts of burden in business other than Primary Production and Camels) 10  
M
ASSET LIFE (YEARS) ITEMS REVIEWED
Marinas (floating) 20  
Mini Lab 10  
Mini Spot Console 10  
Modular Switching System 10  
Motor Vehicles, etc:    
   - Buses, lorries and trucks:    
   - Generally 6 2/3  
   - Heavy haulage of goods or passengers (long distance and intercity) 5  
   - Cars (motor vehicles designed to carry a load of less than one tonne or fewer than 9 passengers):    
     -- Generally 6 2/3  
     -- Hire and travellers' cars 5  
     -- Taxis 4  
   - Fork-lifters, automatic loaders, transporters, front-end loaders 6 2/3  
   - Motor cycles and scooters 6 2/3  
Multi-Tray Units 3  
'Music While You Work' System 10  
N
ASSET LIFE (YEARS) ITEMS REVIEWED
Neon Sign 20  
O
ASSET LIFE (YEARS) ITEMS REVIEWED
Office Machines and Equipment:    
   - Delivery tube system (air pressure) 10  
   - Dictaphones 10  
   - Duplicating machines 10  
   - Photo copying machines 10  
   - Word processing machines and text editing machines 5  
Ovens:    
   - Hotel industry 20  
   - Microwave 6 2/3  
Oxygen Acetylene Plant 20  
P
ASSET LIFE (YEARS) ITEMS REVIEWED
Packing Machines 10  
Paging and Public Address Systems 10  
Painting equipment (airless spray) 10  
Paint-tinting and Colour Blending Machines 5  
Parachute 3  
Partitions (demountable) 20  
Pentex Total Station 5  
Plants:    
   - Live (indoor) 5  
   - Simulated 13 1/3  
Poles:    
   - Steel (set in concrete) 40  
   - Wooden:    
     -- Set in concrete 20  
     -- Not set in concrete 10  
Pontoons (floating) 40  
Portable Toilet 10  
Powder Coating Machine 6 2/3  
Power Tools (hand operated) 5  
Projectors 10  
Pumps 20  
Punts 20  
R
ASSET LIFE (YEARS) ITEMS REVIEWED
Racks 10  
Radio Sets:    
   - Generally 10  
   - Two-way radios and transceivers 6 2/3  
Refrigerating Plant and Machinery :    
   - Cold rooms (prefabricated with stressed skin panels) 13 1/3  
   - Condenser pipes 13 1/3  
   - Cork board for insulating cold storage chambers 20  
   - Expansion pipes 40  
   - General machinery 13 1/3  
   - Refrigeration (freezing) units (including compressors for shops) 10  
Refrigerators 20  
Regeneration (acid) Unit 10  
Robots (industrial) 10  
S
ASSET LIFE (YEARS) ITEMS REVIEWED
Saddlery and Harness 10  
Sale Yards (stock and station agents) 20  
Sand/Coating System 10  
Sauna and Spa (prefabricated type) 13 1/3  
Saws (chain) 3  
Scaffolding 10  
Scales (platform) 20  
Security Systems:    
   - Bullet resistant screens (not forming part of the building) 20  
   - Burglar alarms 6 2/3  
   - Camera scanning (of type used in large retail establishments) 6 2/3  
   - Electronic tags (releases - retail stores) 6 2/3  
Sewing Machines 10  
Shafting 20  
Sheds:    
   - Portable (nomadic type industry) 10  
   - Humidification 20  
Signs 20  
Silos:    
   - Cement Storage 66 2/3  
   - Bulk handling industry (used on a continuous basis to store different grains for short periods):    
     -- Concrete construction 50  
     -- Steel construction 20  
     -- Ancillary mechanical equipment 13 1/3  
Slips and Standing Ways 20  
Slitting Machine 20  
Sonar Supersonic Equipment (similar to seismic equipment) 13 1/3  
Sound Processing System (electronic digital) 6 2/3  
Spa (fibreglass) 20  
Spectrometer (computerised x-ray system for mineral analysis) 10  
Spray Booth 6 2/3  
Standards:    
   - Iron or steel (including brackets, crossarms, etc) 40  
   - Concrete, brick or stone 100  
Steam Cleaners 13 1/3  
Strapping Machines 10  
Strongrooms (demountable) and strongroom doors 100  
Stuffed Crocodiles 20  
Suitcase 10  
Swimming Pools:    
   - Above-ground 10  
   - Concrete 50  
   - Fibreglass 20  
   - Filtration equipment 13 1/3  
   - Other equipment 13 1/3  
Synthetic Lawn Surface 10  
T
ASSET LIFE (YEARS) ITEMS REVIEWED
Tanks:    
   - Galvanised Iron:    
     -- Bore water 10  
     -- Rain water 20  
   - Reinforced concrete or masonry 50  
   - Underground 50  
Tank Stands:    
   - Brick, stone or concrete 50  
   - Wood and/or iron 33 1/3  
Tape Recorders 10  
Tarpaulins (canvas or plastic) 6 2/3  
Telephone Installations:    
   - Answering machines 6 2/3  
   - Car phone 6 2/3  
   - Cellular mobile 6 2/3  
   - Complete telephone system (comprising switchboards, instruments, cables etc) 20  
   - Computerised PABX equipment 20  
   - Public telephones 10  
   - Reservation system (data print) 20  
Television Receivers:    
   - Generally 10  
   - Used for hire 6 2/3  
Ticket Issuing Machines (public transport) 13 1/3  
Tools (loose) 5  
Traction Engines (oil or wood fuel) 10  
Tractors 6 2/3  
Trailers 10  
Transport Cases (steel) 10  
Turnstiles 20  
V
ASSET LIFE (YEARS) ITEMS REVIEWED
Vacuum Cleaners (electric) 10  
Video:    
   - Cassette libraries (used for hire) 2  
   - Game machines 5  
   - Recorders (used for hire) 6 2/3  
   - Video juke boxes 6 2/3  
   - Other 10  
W
ASSET LIFE (YEARS) ITEMS REVIEWED
Washing Machines 6 2/3  
Waste Storage and Disposal Bins (industrial) 10  
Weighbridges 25  
Weighing Machines 10  
Welding Plant:    
   - Automatic (used at sea on construction of a submarine pipeline) 10  
   - Generally 20  
Wells 40  
Wharves 40  
Wheelbarrows 10  
Windmills 20  
Wrapping Machines 10  
X
ASSET LIFE (YEARS) ITEMS REVIEWED
X-Ray and High Frequency Current Plant (including screening of apparatus to suppress radio interference):    
   - General 13 1/3  
   - Image intensifier with TV chain and recording unit 6 2/3  
   - Associated equipment 10  
   - Portable units 10  
   - Processor and daylight loading equipment 10  

Table C - Replacements

  Acquired Pre-27/2/92 Acquired Post-26/2/92
  Prime Cost % Diminish Value % Prime Cost % Diminish Value %
A  
Aircraft Industry :  
-- Hangar buildings NIL
B  
Boarding House Plant and Equipment :  
-- Plumbing fixtures, sinks, baths, etc NIL
Boats, Ships, Lighters, etc :  
-- Boat sheds NIL
Boot and Shoe-making Machinery :  
-- Machinery and general plant:  
--- Leased by taxpayer NIL
Brickmaking Plant :  
-- Drying sheds NIL
Buildings :  
- (b) which do not form integral parts of plant and machinery (including magazines for storing explosives) NIL
C  
Chimney Stacks and Flues :  
-- Integral part of building NIL
D  
Designs used in Jacquard Looms NIL
E  
Electrical Machinery and Equipment :  
-- Chimney flues NIL
Electric Railway :  
-- Feeder Station (housing switchgear) No depreciation not plant
Experimental Plant NIL
Explosive, Magazines used or storage of NIL
F  
Fences :  
-- Generally (but see primary industries) NIL
Films, Cinematograph NIL
G  
Gas-making Plant :  
-- Buildings:  
--- Other buildings NIL
-- Coal stores:  
--- Being open air stores, consisting of brick or concrete walls, without roofs or without plant or machinery built into the walls NIL
-- Excavations:  
--- for levelling purposes only NIL
--- to construct roadways NIL
--- tar holding tanks, not containing any building plant NIL
--- for accommodating machinery required to be erected below the ordinary ground level  
---- Reinforced concrete lined NIL
-- Fences NIL
-- Retaining walls NIL
-- Roads NIL
-- Tramways:  
--- Ground tramways . NIL
Glass Bottle Manufacturing Plant :  
-- Chimney stacks NIL
H  
Houses and Flats Let Furnished :  
-- Sun louvres NIL
L  
Lift Well and other Structural Alterations NIL
Lion Park :  
-- Workshop, fences, cement floor NIL
Live Stock :  
-- Dairy cattle NIL
-- Stud stock NIL
-- Working beasts and beasts of burden:  
--- In business of Primary Production to be included in the Livestock Schedule  
Louvres (sun) - over building NIL
M  
Motor Garage Equipment :  
-- Pits NIL
Motor Vehicles, etc :  
-- Radio sets installed in vehicle - regard as part of the vehicle for depreciation purposes  
N  
Newsreel Equipment used to produce Sound - Newsreels :  
-- Lenses NIL
O  
P  
Permanent Way (on application) 7 10
Primary Industries, Farmers', etc, Plant :  
-- Earth tanks NIL
-- Tanks, earth (being substantially excavations) NIL
R  
Radium NIL
Railways :  
-- Permanent way - (on application) 7 10
S  
Safes, Bank :  
-- Other NIL
Sidings NIL
Skating Rink, Plant, etc :  
-- Floors NIL
Squash Courts NIL
Sun Louvres NIL
T  
Tanks  
-- Earth NIL
Tennis Court Equipment :  
-- Tennis court:  
--- Other NIL
Theatre, Picture Theatre, etc, Plant and Equipment :  
-- Acoustic plaster shells in theatre buildings NIL
-- Drive-in theatres:  
--- Bio box buildings NIL
--- Electric substation buildings NIL
--- Surfacing NIL
-- Films, whether in stock or in use NIL

Table D - Replacements

  LIFE (YEARS) Acquired Pre-27/2/92 Acquired Post-26/2/92
A   Prime Cost % Diminish Value % Prime Cost % Diminish Value %
Aerated Water Plant:  
-- Bottles stoppers, siphons   Replacement
-- Boxes, cases, etc, for siphons and bottles   Replacement
Aircraft Industry:  
-- Loose tools   Replacement
Amusement Machines and Equipment:  
-- Pin tables   Replacement
B  
Bands:  
-- Sheet music   Replacement
Bedding, Linen, Crockery, etc. (Hospitals, Hotels and Boarding Houses)   Replacement
Belting, ordinary - Where an essential part of a particular machine   Replacement
Boarding House Plant and Equipment:  
-- Bedding   Replacement
-- Crockery, cutlery, glassware and cooking utensils   Replacement
-- Linen   Replacement
Boats, Ships, Lighters, etc. (See explanatory notes re 'Fishing Industry and Australian Trading Ships):  
-- Sails, oars, running gear, etc   Replacement
Boot and Shoe-making Machinery:  
-- Lasts   Replacement
Bowling Centres - Plant and Equipment:  
-- Bowling pins   Replacement
-- Hire shoes   Replacement
Broom and Brush - Manufacturing Plant:  
-- Tools and dies (see also 'Dies')   Replacement
Building and Construction Industry:  
-- General plant:  
--- Bending machines (bar, angle or rod) 10 12 18 17 25
    or Replacement
--- Chain blocks, rod shears, jacks, etc 15 9 13.5 13 20
    or Replacement
-- Concreting plant:  
--- Hoppers, skips and hoist buckets 10 12 18 17 25
    or Replacement
--- Rickshaws or dump carts (hand operated) 10 12 18 17 25
    or Replacement
-- Levels, dumpy, etc 15 9 13.5 13 20
    or Replacement
-- Loose tools and equipment 5 24 36 27 40
    or Replacement
-- Power tools, hand operated: - Electric, pneumatic or powder 5 24 36 27 40
    or Replacement
Butter Factory Plant:  
-- General plant:  
--- Loose tools   Replacement
--- Tramway rails -wood or iron   Replacement
-- Power transmission:  
--- Belting   Replacement
C  
Catering Plant (crockery, cutlery and cooking utensils)   Replacement
Chutes   Replacement
Clerical Robes and Vestments   Replacement
Colliery and Coal Mining Plant:  
-- Anchors, mooring chains and breast chains   Replacement
-- Sidings, chutes and shafts, if privately owned by taxpayer claiming depreciation   Replacement
Costume Stands   Replacement
Cyanide Vat (galvanised iron)   Replacement
D  
Dies (see 'Metal Forming Plant' and 'Motor Vehicle Manufacturing Plant'):  
-- Generally   Replacement
-- Plastics industry 4 40 60 40 60
    or Replacement
Dentists' Plant:  
-- High speed equipment:  
--- Air operated dental drilling equipment 10 12 18 17 25
(Replacements allowable in respect of handpieces and handpiece parts.)  
-- Instruments and plant (other than high speed equipment) 20 6 9 13 20
[NOTE: If the taxpayer so desires, the cost of Replacements of drills or burrs may be allowed in lieu of depreciation on those items.]  
Doctors' Instruments (see also 'Medical Practitioners' Plant')   Replacement
Dunnage   Replacement
E  
Electrical Machinery and Equipment:  
-- Hand tools and loose plant   Replacement
-- Lamps:  
--- Incandescent   Replacement
-- Loose plant   Replacement
-- Power tools, hand operated 5 24 36 27 40
    or Replacement
Electric Signs (see also `Neon Signs')   Replacement
F  
Fishing Plant (see also 'Boats, Ships, Lighters, etc.'):  
-- Sails, oars, running gear, nets   Replacement
Foundation for Stacks   Replacement
Foundry Plant:  
-- Loose tools   Replacement
Furnaces and Flues (Assay work)   Replacement
G  
Galvanised Iron for Roofing Stacks   Replacement
Galvanised Iron Vats (cyanide)   Replacement
Gas-making Plant:  
-- Chains and buckets or grates for cranes   Replacement
-- Gas testing apparatus:  
--- Glassware   Replacement
-- Machine tools and hand Tools:  
--- Loose hand tools   Replacement
-- Telpher plant:  
--- Coke bins   Replacement
--- Power rods   Replacement
-- Tools:  
--- Loose hand tools   Replacement
Gelatine and Glue Manufacturing Plant:  
-- Drying trays   Replacement
Gramophone Records used by - Broadcasting Companies 4 40 60 40 60
    or Replacement
H  
Horse Rugs   Replacement
Hospitals (see also 'Medical Practitioners' Plant'):  
-- Bedding, linen, crockery, etc   Replacement
Hotel, Motel, Boarding House and Restaurant Plant and Equipment:  
-- Bedding   Replacement
-- Crockery, cutlery, glassware and cooking utensils   Replacement
-- Linen   Replacement
Houses and Flats Let Furnished:  
-- Bedding   Replacement
-- Crockery, cutlery, glassware, cooking utensils   Replacement
-- Linen   Replacement
J  
Jewellers' Plant:  
-- Dies (see also note under 'Dies')   Replacement
-- Fittings - window pads, trays and jewel cases   Replacement
Jigs (see also 'Motor Vehicle Manufacturing Plant')   Replacement
Jockeys' Equipment - saddles, whips, boots, etc   Replacement
K  
Kilns:  
-- Sand stone (Prickly Pear poison plant)   Replacement
L  
Linotype Metal (see also 'Printers' Plant')   Replacement
Loose Tools (see also 'Building and Construction Industry')   Replacement
M  
Maltsters' Plant:  
-- Steel floors   Replacement
Materials Handling Plant and Equipment:  
-- Slings (rope or steel wire)   Replacement
Medical Practitioners' Plant:  
-- Instruments   Replacement
Motor Vehicle Manufacturing Plant:  
-- Drills, reamers, cutters and other short life tools   Replacement
Moulds - used in Plastic Industry:  
-- Swimming pool fibreglass   Replacement
Musical Instruments, etc:  
-- Sheet music   Replacement
P  
Patterns:  
-- Generally   Replacement
Pearling and Oyster Fishing Plant:  
-- Diving gear (diving dresses and air pipers)   Replacement
-- Running gear, sails, etc   Replacement
Plastic Industry:  
-- Dies 4 40 60 40 60
    or Replacement
Power Tools (hand operated) 5 24 36 27 40
    or Replacement
Primary Industries, Farmers', etc, Plant:  
-- Greenhouse 'igloo' components:  
--- Polythene and ground level plastic   Replacement
--- Timber framing   Replacement
-- Hop growers' plant:  
--- Framed, breakwinds, wooden troughing   Replacement
-- Horse rugs   Replacement
-- Peanut blanching plant:  
--- Pal boxes 3 40 60 40 60
    or Replacement
-- Poultry farmers' plant:  
--- Egg boxes and fillers   Replacement
-- Stable implements   Replacement
-- Tanks, butter milk (used in pig-farming industry)   Replacement
-- Wheat stacks - Galvanised iron, hessian and timber   Replacement
Printers' Plant and Machinery (see also 'Bookbinding Plant'):  
-- Linotype metal   Replacement
-- Stereos and blocks   Replacement
R  
Radio Broadcasting Equipment (see also 'Electrical Machinery and Equipment'):  
-- Gramophone records 4 40 60 40 60
    or Replacement
Records (Gramophone), used by Broadcasting Companies 4 40 60 40 60
    or Replacement
Robes:  
-- Clerical robes and vestments   Replacement
Rolling Stock:  
-- Ropes   Replacement
Rugs, horse   Replacement
S  
Salvage Machinery:  
-- Anchors, blocks, shackles, wire ropes, chains, buoys and other gear for salvage work   Replacement
-- Diving gear:  
--- Diving dresses and air pipes   Replacement
-- Piping, for pumps   Replacement
-- Piping, steam   Replacement
Sanitary Contractors' Plant (cans and lids)   Replacement
Scenery, Theatrical (see also 'Theatre')   Replacement
Shops:  
-- Costume stands   Replacement
Skating Rink, Plant, etc:  
-- Hired ice skating boots 5 24 36 27 40
    or Replacement
Slings (see also 'Materials Handling Plant and Equipment'):  
-- Rope or steel wire   Replacement
Stable Implements   Replacement
Stands for costumes   Replacement
Steel Rolls for rolling steel window frames   Replacement
Stevedoring Plant (see also 'Boats' and 'Materials Handling Plant and Equipment')   Replacement
Surveyors' Instruments:  
-- Other small instruments, chains, tapes, etc.   Replacement
Syphons, Stoppers, Bottles, etc   Replacement
T  
Tarpaulins:  
-- Tarred hessian   Replacement
Television antennae (owned or hired)   Replacement
Tennis Court Equipment:  
-- Equipment (hose, nets, stop-netting, matting, greencloth and electrical fittings)   Replacement
Tents, Ropes and locks   Replacement
Theatre, Picture Theatre, etc, Plant and Equipment (see also 'Newsreel Equipment'):  
-- Scenery, theatrical   Replacement
-- Small articles   Replacement
Tile Manufacturing Plant - Cement:  
-- Pallets (aluminium used in extrusion process) 5 24 36 27 40
    or Replacement
Timber, Firewood and Sawmilling Plant:  
-- Telephone lines:  
--- Cables and materials, including other portions of system   Replacement
Tools (loose)   Replacement
Trade Utensils   Replacement
V  
Vats, cyanide (galvanised iron)   Replacement
W  
Watchmakers' Plant:  
-- Loose tools   Replacement
Wheat Stacks - galvanised iron, hessian and timber   Replacement

Table E - Statutory rates

  LIFE (YEARS) Acquired Pre-27/2/92 Acquired Post-26/2/92
A   Prime Cost % Diminish Value % Prime Cost % Diminish Value %
Amenities Provided for Employees (See Explanatory Notes under the heading of 'Employees Amenities and other Facilities')  
-- Fittings and fixtures:  
-- General N/A 33 1/3 50 33 50
-- Plumbing  
--- forming part of plant or equipment of cafeteria, kitchen, dining, mess, recreation or rest rooms, etc. N/A 33 1/3 50 33 50
-- Plant and equipment used in providing meals or facilities for meals for employees N/A 33 1/3 50 33 50
F  
Fittings and fixtures in - Cafeteria, Rest, Recreation and Locker Rooms Provided for Employees (see also 'Amenities') N/A 33 1/3 50 33 50
R  
Research Plant, scientific including pilot plant (see also s. 73B) N/A 33 1/3 50 33 50
S  
Scientific Research Plant, including pilot plant (see also s. 73B) N/A 33 1/3 50 33 50

Table F - Redundancies

  LIFE (YEARS) Acquired Pre-27/2/92 Acquired Post-26/2/92
A   Prime Cost % Diminish Value % Prime Cost % Diminish Value %
Accounting Machines 10 12 18 17 25
Adding Machines 10 12 18 17 25
Amusement Machines and Equipment:  
-- Astropin 10 12 18 17 25
-- Gramophone 10 12 18 17 25
-- Luna Beetle 3 40 60 40 60
-- Midget Cars:  
--- Cars 3 40 60 40 60
--- Racing track 10 12 18 17 25
--Model steam trains, permanent way and other equipment for carrying passengers 15 9 13.5 13 20
-- Moon-Tripper 10 12 18 17 25
-- Scooter boats:  
--- Boats, including internal electric motors and trolley rods 3 40 60 40 60
--- Electrical and structural equipment providing power to drive the boats and structural equipment to accommodate them in the water pond 20 6 9 13 20
-- Skating surface synthetic (Newice panels) 10 12 18 17 25
-- Surfoplanes (rubber surf shooters) 2 100 100 100 100
B  
Battery (Dry) Manufacturing Plant:  
-- Bobbin tamping machines 20 6 9 13 20
-- Cathode filling machines:  
--- Not subject to chemical action 20 6 9 13 20
--- Subject to chemical action 15 9 13.5 13 20
-- Cathode mixing machines 10 12 18 17 25
-- Cooking baths 20 6 9 13 20
-- Dolly making machines:  
--- High-built type 20 6 9 13 20
--- Low-built type 10 12 18 17 25
-- Powdering barrel mills 15 9 13.5 13 20
-- Rock crushing machines 10 12 18 17 25
-- Sifting machines (disintegrators) 15 9 13.5 13 20
-- Stamper machine tools 20 6 9 13 20
-- Wetness testing machines 15 9 13.5 13 20
--Wrapping machines and associated appliances 20 6 9 13 20
Bicycles:  
-- Motor 7 15 22.5 15 22.5
Biographs 10 12 18 17 25
Bitument Laminating, Paper Combining and Reinforcing Plant 20 6 9 13 20
Blind Aid Optacon Model R20 7 18 27 20 30
Blue Manufacturing Plant 15 9 13.5 13 20
Bonemilling Plant: 15 9 13.5 13 20
-- Cage mills 15 9 13.5 13 20
-- Steam vats 20 6 9 13 20
Brewery Plant:  
-- Carts and horse-drawn lorries 10 12 18 17 25
Building and Construction Industry:  
-- Concreting plant:  
--- Rickshaws or dump carts (hand operated) 10 12 18 17 25
Butter Factory Plant:  
-- General plant:  
--- Engineers repair shop and blacksmiths forges, lathes, drilling machines, etc. 20 6 9 13 20
--- Ice moulds 5 24 36 27 40
---Launches 20 6 9 13 20
---Motor lorries for collecting cream cans:  
---- Designed to carry 1 tonne or more 5 24 36 27 40
---- Designed to carry less than 1 tonne 5 20 30 20 30
--- Wharves 40 3 4.5 7 10
--- Windlasses 20 6 9 13 20
-- Manufacturing and treating plant:  
--- Can-washing machines 10 12 18 17 25
--- Steam troughs, etc, for cleansing cans 20 6 9 13 20
-- Power plant:  
--- Diesel engines 20 5 9 13 20
--- Steam engines 20 6 9 13 20
C  
Carts used by brewers and other tradesmen 10 12 18 17 25
Charcoal Burning Kilns 20 6 9 13 20
Cinema Machines - Coin Operated 10 12 18 17 25
Cinematographs 10 12 18 17 25
City Guide Systems 8 18 27 20 30
Cleaners' Plant:  
-- Carpet beating machines 15 9 13.5 13 20
--Electronic motors for driving carpet beating machines 20 6 9 13 20
White Work Manufacturing Plant: (Clothing, Millinery to stay)  
-- Sewing machines 10 12 18 17 25
-- Other plant 20 6 9 13 20
Colliery and Coal Mining Plant:  
-- Shovels:  
--- Steam 20 6 9 13 20
Commercial Travellers' Outfits - Tin sample boxes and leather bags 8 18 27 20 30
D  
Drays and Wagons used on Farms and Stations 10 12 18 17 25
Duplicating Machines 10 12 18 17 25
E  
Electrical Machinery and Equipment:  
-- dynamos, rotary converters (see alternators etc. alternators & motor generators to stay) 20 6 9 13 20
-- Dynamos 20 6 9 13 20
-- Lamps:  
--- Arc 10 12 18 17 25
-- Rotary convertors 20 6 9 13 20
F  
Fruit-growers' Plant (see also 'Primary Industries'):  
-- Glass houses:  
--- Timber-framed 20 6 9 13 20
G  
Gas-making Plant: [NOTE: Optional alternative rates are listed at the conclusion of this item.]  
-- Boilers 20 6 9 13 20
-- Buildings:  
--- Retort houses, coal stores (see 'Retort Houses')  
-- Coal crushers 20 6 9 13 20
-- Coal stores:  
--- Being stores enclosed by brick or steel walls and a roof and containing tramways, coal conveyors, coal elevators and coal breakers (see 'Retort Houses')  
-- Coal wagons (post-12.3.91 Plant) 15 9 13.5 13 20
-- Coke handling and screening Plant 15 9 13.5 13 20
-- Coke wagons 15 9 13.5 13 20
-- Condensers:  
--- Exposed type 15 9 13.5 13 20
--- Enclosed 33 6 9 7 10
-- Cranes 20 6 9 13 20
-- Electric motors 20 6 9 13 20
--Engines, steam engines, electric motors, gas engines, gas exhausters and lowers, hydraulic power plant 20 6 9 13 20
-- Excavations:  
--- to accommodate plant or machinery such as brick or metal lined underground tanks containing plant for automatically dealing with tar and ammoniacal liquors (on lining and plant only) 33 6 9 7 10
--- for accommodating machinery required to be erected below the ordinary ground level  
---- Metal lined 33 6 9 7 10
-- Furniture and fittings office) 15 9 13.5 13 20
-- Gas engines 20 6 9 13 20
-- Gas exhausters and lowers 20 6 9 13 20
-- Gas and water fittings 15 9 13.5 13 20
-- Gas holders 33 6 9 7 10
-- Gas mains 50 3 4.5 7 10
-- Gas testing apparatus:  
--- Mechanism 33 6 9 7 10
-- Hydraulic power plant 20 6 9 13 20
-- Machine tools and hand Tools:  
--- Machine tools 20 6 9 13 20
-- Meters:  
--- Wet 40 3 4.5 7 10
--- Dry 25 6 9 13 20
-- Meter testing apparatus 33 6 9 7 10
-- Motor vehicles:  
--- Cars (other than travellers') and cycles 7 15 22.5 15 22.5
--- Cars used by travellers 5 20 30 20 30
--- Wagons and lorries  
---- Designed to carry 1 tonne or more 7 18 27 20 30
---- Designed to carry less than 1 tonne 7 15 22.5 15 22.5
-- Prepayment fittings 10 12 18 17 25
-- Pressure regulators, or governors and distributing meters 33 6 9 7 10
-- Pumps 20 6 9 13 20
-- Purifiers 33 6 9 7 10
-- Retorts:  
--- Horizontal and inclined (plus Replacements of retort cores and settings) 15 9 13.5 13 20
--- Vertical (plus repairs but not including Replacements) 7 18 27 20 30
--Retort houses and machinery and coal stores associated herewith:  
--- Charging and discharging machines  
--- for horizontal retorts 10 12 18 17 25
--- for inclined retorts 13 12 18 13 20
--- Coke conveyors, not including driving gears 5 24 36 27 40
--- Coke wagons 15 9 13.5 13 20
--- Driving gears 10 12 18 17 25
-- Retort house walls and smoke tack 50 3 4.5 7 10
-- Retort benches 16 9 13.5 13 20
-- Scrubbers 33 6 9 7 10
-- Service pipes 20 6 9 13 20
-- Station meters 40 3 4.5 7 10
-- Steam engines 20 6 9 13 20
-- Steam locomotives 20 6 9 13 20
-- Street lamp columns and lanterns 40 3 4.5 7 10
-- Sulphate plant 15 9 13.5 13 20
-- Tar extractors:  
--- Stationary 40 3 4.5 7 10
--- Rotary 20 6 9 13 20
-- Tar mixing plant 15 9 13.5 13 20
-- Tar refining and distillation Plant 15 9 13.5 13 20
-- Telpher plant:  
--- Structural steel rests for tramways 33 6 9 7 10
--- Spiral elevators 10 12 18 17 25
--- Motor truck 20 6 9 13 20
-- Tools:  
--- Machine tools 20 6 9 13 20
-- Tramways:  
--- Overhead tramways 33 6 9 7 10
--(Replacements of rails, sleepers, points and crossing, etc, are allowables incurred.)  
-- Washers:  
--- Livesey washers 50 3 4.5 7 10
--- Other kinds 33 6 9 7 10
-- Water fittings 15 9 13.5 13 20
-- Water gas plant 20 6 9 13 20
-- Water tanks 20 6 9 13 20
-- Weighing machines 20 6 9 13 20
-- Wharves 20 6 9 13 20
Gas-making Plant, Optional Rates: (At the option of the taxpayer, an overall period of 20 years may be adopted for all items of plant and machinery, other than the items specified below, to which the periods shown shall be applied.)  
-- Furniture 15 9 13.5 13 20
-- Mains 50 3 4.5 7 10
-- Meters:  
--- Dry 25 6 9 13 20
--- Wet 40 3 4.5 7 10
-- Motor vehicles:  
--- Cars (other than travellers') and cycles 7 15 22.5 15 22.5
--- Cars used by travellers 5 20 30 20 30
--- Wagons and lorries  
---- designed to carry more than 1 tonne 7 18 27 20 30
---- designed to carry less than 1 tonne 7 15 22.5 15 22.5
-- Prepayment fittings 10 12 18 17 25
-- Retorts:  

References

ATO references:
NO 99/13202-7

ISSN 1039-0731

Related Rulings/Determinations:

TR 2000/D7A
IT 2685

Subject References:
depreciation
depreciation rates
effective life

Legislative References:
ITAA 1997 Subdiv 960-Q
ITAA 1997 Subdiv 42-M
ITAA 1997 42-15
ITAA 1997 42-100
ITAA 1997 42-100(2)
ITAA 1997 42-105
ITAA 1997 42-110
ITAA 1997 42-110(2)
ITAA 1997 42-112
ITAA 1997 42-118
ITAA 1997 42-145
ITAA 1997 42-150
ITAA 1997 42-160(3)
ITAA 1997 42-165(2A)
ITAA 1997 387-175
ITAA 1997 387-177


Copyright notice

© Australian Taxation Office for the Commonwealth of Australia

You are free to copy, adapt, modify, transmit and distribute material on this website as you wish (but not in any way that suggests the ATO or the Commonwealth endorses you or any of your services or products).