Intangible capital improvements made to a pre-CGT asset

March 10, 2017

On 25 January 2017, the ATO issued Taxation Determination TD 2017/1. It provides that for the purposes of the “separate asset” rules in the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997, intangible capital improvements can be considered a separate CGT asset from the pre-CGT asset to which those improvements are made, if the relevant thresholds are satisfied. The thresholds require that the improvement’s cost base is more than the improvement threshold for the income year in which the CGT event happened to the original asset, and that the improvement’s cost base is more than 5% of the capital proceeds from the event.
The determination also provides an example: where a farmer who holds pre-CGT land obtains council approval to rezone and subdivide the land, those improvements may be considered separate CGT assets from the land itself.

DAA Commentary
We recommend seeking professional tax advice prior to undertaking capital improvements to a pre-CGT asset, in order to obtain further clarity on any associated tax implications.