BIM73140 - Farmers' averaging: successive claims

A farmer who has made a claim to average farm profits for, say, 2000-01 and 2001-02 may then claim to average the profits for 2001-02 and 2002-03 and so on. Where such overlapping claims are made, the first year of the second pair is to be based on the assessment determined by averaging or by marginal adjustment for the second year of the first pair. But once a claim has been made and settled ICTA88/S96 (4)(a) prohibits the making of claims for earlier years.

Example 1

Profits before averaging are as follows:

Year£
2000-0140,000
2001-0224,000
2002-0348,000

A claim is made for averaging 2000-01 and 2001-02 and subsequently a claim is made for 2001-02 and 2002-03.

The computations are as follows:

YearProfit before averagingProfit after averagingFinal assessment
First claimSecond claim
£££££
2000-0140,00032,00040,000
2001-0224,00032,00040,00032,000 (-2000-01 tax adjustment)
2002-0348,00040,00040,000 (+2001-02 tax adjustment)

Example 2

Profits before averaging are as follows:

2000-01£40,000
2001-02£28,500
2002-03£48,000

Again, a claim is made for averaging 2000-01 and 2001-02 and subsequently a claim is made for 2001-02 and 2002-03.

The computations are as follows:

YearProfit before averagingProfit after averagingFinal assessment
First claimSecond claim
££££
2000-0140,00035,500*40,000
2001-0228,50033,000*40,50033,000 (-2000-01 tax adjustment)
2002-0348,00040,50040,500 (+2001-02 tax adjustment)

* Marginal adjustment of ( 3 x 11,500 ) - (3/4 x 40,000 ) = 4,500.

See BIM73145 for an example demonstrating how relief is computed within SA.