SAIM10010 | Relief for interest paid: introduction

Relief for interest payments

Chapter 1 of Part 8 of the Income Tax Act 2007 provides for relief to be given to a person who pays interest on certain loans.

Relief is given as a deduction in computing net income of the tax year in which the interest payment is made. So if the interest exceeds the income from which it can be deducted, relief for the excess is generally lost. The exception from this rule is ITA07/S405 (carry back and forward of relief for interest on loans to pay inheritance tax). SAIM10350

Under ITA07/S383 relief is given for interest payments made on loans taken out for one of a number of specified purposes (see table below), where the interest is eligible for relief and where the person makes a claim. These purposes do not include the generality of purposes for which loans are taken out in the course of a trade or property business, as interest will normally be an allowable deduction in computing the income from that source.