1. Decline in Value and Capital Allowances
Chapter 11
Decline in Value and Capital Allowances
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2. © National Core Accounting Publications
Overview
s allows a deduction for the decline in value of a depreciating asset that is held by the taxpayer at any time during the income year.
The deduction is reduced to reflect the extent to which the asset was used for a purpose other than a taxable purpose (i.e. a private purpose).
Where a depreciating asset is held only for part of a year, the decline in value is pro-rated.
Note: The text book bases pro-rata calculations on whole months. In practice days are used.
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Depreciating assets
Definition
s defines a depreciating asset as:
“an asset that has a limited effective life and that is reasonably expected to decline in value over the time that it is used.”
e.g. equipment, plant, machinery, intellectual property.
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4. Basis for Decline in Value
Decline in value is calculated based on the cost of the asset. The cost of an asset consists of a: First element of cost and Second element of cost
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5. First element of cost Second of cost
Is generally the consideration paid by the taxpayer for the asset.
Second of cost
Is generally the consideration paid by the taxpayer to bring the asset to its present location and condition.
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Choice of Method
There are two methods of calculating decline in value for tax purposes:
Prime Cost method (PC)
Diminishing Value method (DVM)
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Prime Cost Method (PC)
Under the prime cost method, the annual decline in value of a depreciating asset is calculated as follows:
Cost x days held
Effective Life *
* 366 days in a leap year
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8. Diminishing Value Method (DVM)
Under the diminishing value method, the decline in value of a depreciating asset is calculated as follows:
For assets acquired pre 10 May 2006
Base value x days held x 150%
Effective Life *
* 366 days in a leap year
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9. Diminishing Value Method (DVM)
Under the diminishing value method, the decline in value of a depreciating asset is calculated as follows:
For assets acquired on or after 10 May 2006
Base value x days held x 200%
Effective Life *
* 366 days in a leap year
The DVM automatically applies unless the taxpayer elects to use the PC method.
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10. Illustration: Comparison of Prime Cost and DVM
A depreciating asset costing $10,000 was acquired on 1 August It has an effective life of 5 years.
Required: Calculate the decline in value for 2013/14 under both the Prime Cost and Diminishing Value methods.
Solution:
Prime Cost method Diminishing Value method
10,000 x ,000 x 200% x 11
= $1,833 = $3,667
Note: Whole months used for illustrative purposes.
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11. Disposal of Depreciable Assets
Unless the termination value (i.e. selling price) of a depreciating asset exactly equals its adjustable value (i.e. written down value), then a balancing adjustment must be made.
A balancing adjustment is calculated by comparing the termination value and the adjustable value of the asset.
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12. Disposal of Depreciable Assets
A balancing adjustment which is a loss on disposal is a deduction
(i.e. where termination value is less than adjustable value)
A balancing adjustment which is a gain on disposal is assessable income
(i.e. where termination value is greater than adjustable value)
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13. Illustration: Calculation of Balancing Adjustment
(i) Termination Value < Adjustable Value
A depreciating asset purchased on 1 July 2013 for $1,000 was sold for $500 on 31 March Its decline in value was calculated using the prime cost method over 5 years.
Therefore, the 2013/14 tax implications:
$350 balancing adjustment (loss on disposal) is a deduction.
$150 decline in value for the year up to date of disposal is a deduction.
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14. Illustration: Calculation of Balancing Adjustment
(ii) Termination Value > Adjustable Value
A depreciating asset with an Historical Cost of $24,000 and an adjustable value of $20,000 at date of disposal was sold for $22,500.
Therefore, the 2013/14 tax implications:
$2,500 balancing adjustment (gain on disposal) is assessable income.
decline in value for the year up to date of disposal is a deduction.
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15. Illustration: Calculation of Balancing Adjustment
Termination Value > Historical cost
A depreciating asset (used wholly for business) costing $36,000, with an adjustable value of $24,500 at date of disposal was sold for $41,000.
Therefore, the 2013/14 tax implications:
• $5,000 gain on disposal is not subject to the capital gains tax provisions as capital gains on the sale of depreciating assets are disregarded.
• $16,500 (i.e. 41, ,500) balancing adjustment (gain on disposal), which is assessable income.
• Decline in value for the year up to the date of disposal is deductible.
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16. Effective Life of Depreciating Assets
The decline in value of a depreciating asset acquired on or after 1 July 2001 is calculated on the basis of the effective life of the asset.
s allows a taxpayer to either:
work out their own estimate of the effective life of a depreciating asset, or
rely on the ATO’s determination of effective life.
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17. Effective Life of Depreciating Assets
must relate to the total estimated period the asset can be used for the purpose of producing assessable income.
Taxpayer’s estimate of effective life:
The ATO publishes recommended periods of effective life which taxpayers may adopt.
ATO’s estimate of effective life:
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18. ATO’s Estimate of Effective Life
contains a list of assets under various industry categories.
Effective Life Table A – Industry items
contains generic assets listed alphabetically.
Effective Life Table B – Asset Categories
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Special Rates
Low Cost items
s.40-80(2) allows an immediate 100% deduction for depreciating assets costing $300 or less provided the asset was not part of a set whose total cost exceeded $300.
This deduction is available only to non-business taxpayers (e.g. employees and landlords).
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20. Balancing Charge Where Part-Business Use
If the deduction for the decline in value of a depreciating asset is reduced because the asset was used partly for non-taxable purposes,
then any assessable or deductible balancing adjustment is reduced by the fraction:
sum of reductions
total decline
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21. Balancing Charge Where Part-Business Use
Therefore, two calculations for decline in value arise:
decline in value must be calculated as if the asset was fully used for business purposes,
and
then calculated after deducting for the private usage component.
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22. Illustration: Balancing Adjustment Under Part Business Use
A taxpayer acquired a depreciating asset on 1 July for $4,000 and used it 75% for income-producing purposes. Assume it has an effective life of 10 years and the prime cost method is used.
Required: Calculate the decline in value and the reduction in any balancing adjustment over the first three income years.
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23. Illustration: Balancing Adjustment Under Part Business Use
The total decline in value over the 3 years is:
$1,200 (i.e )
The sum of the reductions is $300 (i.e )
Therefore, any balancing adjustment must be reduced by:
300 = 25%
1,200
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24. © National Core Accounting Publications
Motor Vehicles
Subject to a car limit for decline in value calculation purposes
For 2013/14 the car limit is $57,466.
This is the maximum depreciable cost of a motor vehicle.
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Motor Vehicles
Where a vehicle subject to a car limit is disposed of, the consideration received must also be adjusted using the following formula:
Reduced consideration = Actual consideration x Car limit
Actual cost
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26. Illustration: Disposal of Vehicle Subject to a Car Limit
A motor vehicle was purchased on 1 May 2012 for $60,000 and was sold on 31 December 2013 for $35,000. It has an effective life of eight years, is used entirely for business purposes, and is depreciated using the diminishing value method.
Required: Calculate any gain/loss on disposal and decline in value for the current income year.
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27. Illustration: Disposal of Vehicle Subject to a Car Limit
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28. Illustration: MV expenses (including car limit)
Kylie Molle, a resident taxpayer, is employed as a sales representative. During the year ended 30 June 2014 she was required to use her personal motor vehicle in the performance of her duties.
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29. Illustration: MV expenses (including car limit)
Additional information:
• the personal loan was taken out to finance purchase of the motor vehicle.
• the effective life of the vehicle is 8 years.
• the taxpayer has kept all receipts, and her log book for the 12 week period (1 September to 30 November) during the year revealed:
- Odometer reading at 1 September - 2,300 kms
Odometer reading at 30 November - 18,900 kms
• the log book indicated business travel during this period was 8,300 kms.
• total business kilometres travelled for the year ended 30 June were 30,000.
• the ATO has prescribed a rate of 74 cents per kilometre for this type of vehicle.
Required: Calculate the most advantageous claim that could be made in respect of car expenses for the year of income.
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30. Illustration: Motor Vehicle expenses (including car limit)
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31. Low Value Asset Pooling
Non-business taxpayers and non-small business entities taxpayers may elect to claim deductions for decline in value of depreciating assets costing less than $1,000 (“low-cost assets”) through a low-value pool.
A depreciating asset whose decline in value was calculated using the diminishing value method for a previous income year can also be pooled where its opening adjustable value is less than $1,000.
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32. Low Value Asset Pooling
The decline in value of a low value pool is:
Where the depreciating asset is acquired in a previous year
37.5% of the asset’s opening adjustable value.
Where the depreciating asset is acquired in the current year
18.75% of the cost of the asset.
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33. Low Value Asset Pooling
Exceptions include
low-value assets for which the prime cost method was previously used to work out any deduction for decline in value.
assets for which a deduction is made under the small business entities concessions.
assets that cost ≤ $300 for which an immediate deduction was claimed.
assets costing ≤ $100 acquired by non-small business entities taxpayers are immediately fully deductible and, therefore, cannot be allocated to a low-value pool.
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34. Low Value Asset Pooling
Disposals
If a low-value pooled asset is disposed of (sold, scrapped, lost, destroyed, or given away), then the closing balance of the pool for the year is reduced by the amount of the termination value.
Where the termination value exceeds the closing pool balance, the excess amount is included in the taxpayer’s assessable income.
The pool’s closing balance then becomes zero.
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35. Illustration: Low-value Asset Pooling
Fred, a non-small-business entity taxpayer, acquired a Laptop computer on 15 May 2014 for $900. He also has a Desktop computer originally purchased for $4,000 but having an adjustable value of $600 on 1 July Fred has previously used the diminishing value method. Both computers are wholly used for income producing purposes.
Required:
(a) Calculate the deduction for decline in value using low-value asset pooling, and the closing balance of the pool for the year ended 30 June 2014.
(b) Calculate the deduction for decline in value using low-value asset pooling, and the closing balance of the pool for the year ended 30 June 2015.
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36. Illustration: Low-value Asset Pooling
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37. Non-small Business Entities Taxpayers
Non-small business entities taxpayers are allowed an immediate deduction for low value assets costing $100 or less.
All other assets are depreciated separately according to their effective life, unless the taxpayer elects to use a low value asset pool.
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38. Small Business Concessions
Pre 1 January 2014
100% immediate write-off for depreciating assets costing < $6,500.
The first $5,000 of a motor vehicle costing $6,500 or more can be written off immediately.
General small business pool
For all depreciating assets costing $6,500 or more.
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39. Small Business Concessions
Post 31 December 2013
100% immediate write-off for depreciating assets costing < $1,000.
The $5,000 immediate deduction for motor vehicles no longer available.
General small business pool
For all depreciating assets costing $1,000 or more.
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40. Small Business Concessions
General small business pool
Where the depreciating asset is acquired in a previous year
30% x pool’s opening balance
Where the depreciating asset is acquired in the current year
15% x cost of the asset
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41. Illustration: Consolidation of depreciation pools
Bazza’s Landscaping Services is a small business entity. At the end of the 2011/12 income year the closing balance of the long life SBE pool was $13,000 and general pool SBE $8,500.
Required:
Determine the opening balance of the newly created general small business pool for the 2012/13 income year.
Solution:
The general small business pool opening balance is:
$21,500 (i.e. 13, ,500).
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42. Illustration: Depreciation pooled assets
Bazza’s Landscaping Services has a general small business pool opening balance of $21,500 (see the previous Illustration). During 2013/14 new equipment at a cost of $7,000 was acquired.
Required:
Calculate the decline in value deduction for the year ended 30 June 2014.
Solution:
Opening balance 21,500 x 30% $ 6,450
New equipment 7,000 x 15% 1,050 $ 7,500
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43. Small Business Concessions
Disposals
If a pooled asset is disposed of (sold, scrapped, lost, destroyed, or given away), then the closing balance of the pool for the year is reduced by the amount the termination value.
Where the termination value exceeds the closing pool balance then the excess amount is included in the taxpayer’s assessable income.
The pool’s closing balance then becomes zero.
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44. Illustration: Small Business Entity Taxpayer
James Hird is a small business entity taxpayer. He had a general small business pool balance of $28,000 at 30 June 2013.
Transactions during the current income year were:
• A machine was sold on 31 January 2014 for $22,000. It was originally included in the Long Life SBE pool. On the same day a Packing machine costing $45,000 plus $2,000 installation costs was acquired.
• A motor vehicle was purchased on 15 March 2014 for $65,000. The vehicle was used 70% for business purposes.
• On 1 January 2014 a computer costing $3,000 was purchased.
All amounts shown are net of GST where applicable.
Required: For the year ending 30 June 2014 calculate:
(a) the deduction for decline in value.
(b) the closing balance of the general small business pool.
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45. Illustration: Small Business Entity Taxpayer
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46. Capital Works Expenditure
Division 43 allows a deduction for capital expenditure incurred on buildings, structural improvements and environment protection earthworks.
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47. Capital Works Expenditure
Capital works deductions are allowed for expenditure in relation to:
building construction costs
costs of altering a building
cost of capital improvements to surrounding property
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48. Capital Works Expenditure
Rate of deduction
Non-industrial buildings
If construction started after 26 February 1992
 2.5%
Industrial buildings
 4%
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49. Illustration: Capital Works Deduction – Residential Buildings
Christine purchased land in 2010 for $250,000 and incurred construction costs of $400,000 on a residential investment property. Construction was completed on 1 January 2014 and the property immediately began deriving investment income.
Required:
Calculate the deduction for capital works expenditure for 2013/14.
Solution:
The capital works deduction is:
400,000 x 2.5% x 6/12 = $ 5,000
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50. Illustration: Capital Works Deduction – Industrial Buildings
Liam manufactures garden sheds. On 1 July 2013 construction is completed on a new factory at a cost of $1,200,000. The building is used 85% for manufacturing activities, assembly and storage of products, and 15% for office administration purposes.
Required:
Calculate the deduction for capital works expenditure for 2013/14.
Solution:
The capital works deduction is:
1,200,000 x 4% x 85% = $ 40,800
1,200,000 x 2.5% x 15% = 4,500
45,300
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