Last amended: 10 October 2007

Unrealisable assets are deemed to produce a notional income. The notional annual rate of ordinary income is assessed separately for each unrealisable asset.

Notional annual rate of ordinary income calculation

A person's notional annual rate of ordinary income from an unrealisable asset is the lower of:

• 2.5% of the value of the person's and the person's partner's unrealisable asset, or
• the amount per year that could reasonably be expected to be obtained from a purely commercial application of the person's and the person's partner's unrealisable assets.  Where the unrealisable asset is a property, this amount will be the commercial lease value [4].

Exceptions:

(i) If a person receives income from an unrealisable asset, special provisions apply.

(ii) Notional ordinary income is not calculated using this method if the unrealisable asset is a property and is occupied by:

• a person's near relative or a long term tenant with a low income, or
• one partner of a separated couple.

If the occupier is a near relative or a long term tenant with a low income, the commercial lease value is calculated as 20% of the total income of the occupant (and partner) of the property. Total income includes all social security income support payments.

If the occupier is one partner of a separated couple, the notional ordinary income calculation depends on rental arrangements between the non-occupier and the occupier.

Notional income for separated couples

Pensioner receives income from an unrealisable asset

If a pensioner receives income from an unrealisable asset, then notional ordinary income is:

• the lower of 2.5% of the asset's value, or
• the commercial lease value, minus
• actual income received.

Exception: The actual income received is used to calculate the rate under the hardship provisions if the actual income received is greater than calculated notional ordinary income.

Last amended: 10 October 2007

Unrealisable assets, including farms, are deemed to produce a notional income, except where special provisions apply.

Notional ordinary income – person's farm

Where the unrealisable asset is a farm being worked to its full capacity solely by the pensioner or their partner, notional income is not assessed. In this situation, only the actual income derived from the property is taken into account.

Notional ordinary income – person's farm being used by a family member

Special provisions apply if the farm is being worked by a family member. In this case, the notional ordinary income for a person's farm that is an unrealisable asset is the lower of:

• 2.5% of the value of the farm, or
• the commercial lease value [4], or
• the rent that the family member can reasonably be expected to pay (reasonable rent) minus any rent actually received by the person from the family member.

Reasonable rent

Reasonable rent is defined by the following formula:

Reasonable rent = (Income – FTB free area) ? 2

Example: A pensioner's son and his partner are sole occupants of the farm. The annual net farm income is $32,000. The partner's annual salary is $12,000. Therefore their total income is $44,000. The maximum family income free area for 2007 is $41,318. Reasonable rent is $1,341 calculated as ($44,000 - $41,318) ?  2

The farm is valued at $240,000. Therefore 2.5% of $240,000 = $6,000

The commercial lease value of the farm is $8,000 per annum.

Reasonable rent is $1,341

Therefore notional income for the property is $1,341

Net value of a farm

The net value of a farm is the value of :

• the farm, plus
• the land, improvements, livestock plant and machinery, minus
• encumbrances.

Example of net value of a farm

The value of the farm includes improvements, livestock, plant and machinery.

The farm value does not include the value of a person's:

• principal home,
• household contents and personal effects, and
• motor vehicle.

Notional annual rate of ordinary income – other farming situations

When the farm is not operated by a pensioner, their partner or a family member, reasonable rent does not need to be calculated. In this case, the notional income for the farm is the lower of:

• 2.5% of the net value, or
• the commercial lease value.