The New Purchase Price Allocation Rules You Need To Know.
Jul 21, 2021
Buying or Selling a Business? The New Purchase Price Allocation Rules You Need To Know.
If you are planning on buying or selling a business or farm this year, you need to be aware of the new tax rules that came into effect on
the 1 July 2021. These new rules impact the way parties to a transaction allocate the purchase price between business assets. This will need
to be considered and addressed in the negotiation and documentation of your transaction terms.
New purchase price allocation rules apply to contracts entered into on or after 1 July 2021. These rules require the vendor and purchaser to
agree, in writing, the allocation to be used between various categories of property included in a sale and purchase agreement. These
categories include buildings, depreciable property, trading stock and non-taxable property such as land on capital account.
Where no agreement is made, one party can unilaterally determine the allocation, within certain limits, or if no parties make a
determination the Commissioner can do so. This can have implications for either party on taxable income or deductions such as depreciation
recovered.
Crucially for the purchaser, they are also denied a deduction until these allocations have been agreed or determined by the Commissioner.
This puts a significant incentive on the purchaser to get these agreements. While there is a de minimis, it has always been best
practice, and our recommendation, is to have these agreed as part of the agreement process.
If you have any questions regarding the above, then please do not hesitate to contact us.