Question
Stephen is a commercial property investor who currently owns a number of commercial rental properties in the Fyshwick area. He also operates a real estate
Stephen is a commercial property investor who currently owns a number of commercial rental properties in the Fyshwick area. He also operates a real estate agency specialising in leasing commercial property to business tenants. He was never interested in property development. However, in May 2017 he purchased a very old building used as a motor repair shop in Braddon (close to the Canberra CBD) for 1.5 million dollars ($1.5m). A friend told him that Braddon was an up-and-coming area and a good place to build apartments and make a lot of money from selling them. Stephen wants to get in on the action but the Bank won't give him a loan to build a 50-unit apartment block on the site. He has a great idea. All of his current investment properties are rented out to business tenants on long-term leases who pay him rent on a monthly basis. He assigns the rights to the rent from the investment properties to the Bank for a period of 5 years in return for the Bank paying him a lump sum of 10 million dollars ($10m). He receives this amount in July 2018. Stephen builds the apartments on Braddon site and then sells all of the apartments for a total of 20 million dollars ($20m) in June 2021. At the time the construction commences the value of the Braddon site is 4 million dollars ($4m). The apartments cost 10 million dollars ($10m) to build.
Required: Using relevant legislation and case law, advise Stephen whether any of the amounts he receives are assessable income in the 2019 and 2021 income years.
Step by Step Solution
There are 3 Steps involved in it
Step: 1
Get Instant Access to Expert-Tailored Solutions
See step-by-step solutions with expert insights and AI powered tools for academic success
Step: 2
Step: 3
Ace Your Homework with AI
Get the answers you need in no time with our AI-driven, step-by-step assistance
Get Started