Income Tax Act 1934

Legislation au C1934A00031 Not in force Act

Legislation content

 

INCOME TAX.

 

No. 31 of 1934.

An Act to impose Taxes upon Incomes.

[Assented to 4th August, 1934.]

BE it enacted by the Kings Most Excellent Majesty, the Senate, and the House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Australia, as follows:—

Short title.

1. This Act may be cited as the Income Tax Act 1934.

Incorporation.

2. The Income Tax Assessment Act 1922–1934 shall be incorporated and read as one with this Act.

Imposition of Income tax.

3. Income tax is imposed at the rates declared in this Act.

Rates of income tax.

4.—(1.) The rate of income tax in respect of income from personal exertion shall be as pet out in the First Schedule to this Act.

(2.) The rate of income tax in respect of income derived from property shall be as set out in the Second Schedule to this Act.

(3.) The rates of income tax in respect of a taxable income derived partly from personal exertion and partly from property shall be as set out in the Third Schedule to this Act.

(4.) Notwithstanding anything contained in the last three preceding sub-sections, where the amount of income tax which a person would, apart from this sub-section, be liable to pay is less than Ten shillings, the income tax payable by that person shall be Ten shillings.

(5.) The rate of income tax payable by a trustee shall be as set out in the Fourth Schedule to this Act.

(6.) Subject to sub-section (5.) of this section, the rates of income tax payable by a company shall be as set out in the Fifth Schedule to this Act.


(7.) The rate of income tax payable by an individually owned partnership shall be as set out in the Sixth Schedule to this Act.

(8.) The rate of income tax payable by a severally owned partnership shall be as set out in the Seventh Schedule to this Act.

Farther tax on Income from property.

5.—(1.) In addition to any income tax payable under the preceding provisions of this Act, there shall be payable upon the taxable income derived by any person—

(a) from property;

(b) by way of interest, dividends, rents or royalties, whether derived from personal exertion or from property; and

(c) in the course of carrying on a business, where the income is of such a class that, if derived otherwise than in the course of carrying on a business, it would be income from property,

a further income tax of six per centum of the amount of that taxable income.

(2.) Where income tax is payable by a company under this section, income tax shall not be payable under this section upon any taxable income derived by any person in consequence of the distribution by that company to its members or shareholders of the income upon which tax is so payable by that company or in consequence of a succession of such distributions through another company or through other companies of that income or any part thereof.

(3.) Sub-sections (2.) to (13.) inclusive of section thirteen of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1922–1931 shall not apply to tax payable under the provisions of this section.

Levy of Income tax.

6.—(1.) Income tax shall be levied and paid for the financial year beginning on the first day of July One thousand nine hundred and thirty-four.

(2.) This Act shall also apply to all assessments for financial years subsequent to that beginning on the first day of July One thousand nine hundred and thirty-four made prior to the passing of the Act for the levying and payment of income tax for the financial year beginning on the first day of July One thousand nine hundred and thirty-five.

 

THE SCHEDULES.

——

FIRST SCHEDULE.

Rate of Tax upon Income Derived from Personal Exertion.

For the purposes of this Schedule— T = taxable income in pounds.

If the taxable income does not exceed £.6900, the rate

of tax for every pound of taxable income shall be..................................

If the taxable income exceeds £6,900, the rate of tax for every pound of taxable income up to and including £6,900 shall be             

and

the rate of tax for every pound of taxable income in excess of £6,900 shall be.......78.5 pence.


The Schedules—continued.

SECOND SCHEDULE.

Rate of Tax upon Income Derived from Property.

For the purposes of this Schedule— T = taxable income in pounds.

If the taxable income does not exceed £500, the rate of tax for every pound of taxable income shall be             

If the taxable income exceeds £500 but does not exceed £1,500, the rate of tax for every pound of taxable income shall be             

If the taxable income exceeds £1,500 but does not exceed £3,700, the rate of tax for every pound of taxable income shall be             

If the taxable income exceeds £3,700, the rate of tax for every pound of taxable income up to and including £3,700 shall be             

and

the rate of tax for every pound of taxable income in excess of £3,700 shall be........90 pence.

 

THIRD SCHEDULE.

Rates of Tax in Respect of Taxable Income Derived Partly from Personal Exertion and Partly from Property.

(a) For every pound of taxable income derived from personal exertion, the rate of tax shall be ascertained by dividing the total amount of the tax that would be payable under the First Schedule if the total taxable income of the taxpayer were derived exclusively from personal exertion by the amount of the total taxable income.

(b) For every pound of taxable income derived from property, the rate of tax shall be ascertained by dividing the total amount of the tax that would be payable under the Second Schedule if the total taxable income of the taxpayer were derived exclusively from property by the amount of the total taxable income.

———

FOURTH SCHEDULE.

Rate of Tax Payable by a Trustee.

For every pound of the taxable income in respect of which a trustee is liable to be separately assessed and to pay tax, the rate of tax shall be the rate which would be payable under the First, Second or Third Schedules, as the case requires, if one individual were liable to be separately assessed and to pay tax on that taxable income.

———

FIFTH SCHEDULE.

Rates of Tax Payable by a Company.

(a) Subject to the last preceding Schedule for every pound of the taxable income of a company, the rate of tax shall be 12 pence.

(b) For every pound of interest paid or credited by a company to any person who is an absentee, in respect of debentures of the company, or on money lodged at interest with the company by such person, the rate of tax shall be 12 pence.

———

SIXTH SCHEDULE.

Rate of Tax Payable by an Individually owned Partnership.

Individually owned partnerships other than Trusts which are partnerships.

For every pound of the taxable income of an individually owned partnership, the rate of tax shall be determined as follows:—

(a) from the total amount of tax which would be payable by the member specified under sub-section (2.) of section twenty-nine of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1922–1934 if the taxable income of the partnership were added to his own taxable income, subtract the amount of tax actually payable by him in respect of his own taxable income; and

(b) divide the amount obtained by the application of the last preceding paragraph by the number of pounds in the taxable income of the partnership.

The Schedules—continued.

Trusts which are individually owned partnerships.

For every pound of the taxable income of a trust which is an individually owned partnership, the rate of tax shall be determined as follows:—

(a) from the amount of tax which would be payable by the person by whom the trust was created if the taxable income of the partnership were added to his own taxable income, subtract the amount of tax actually payable by him in respect of his own taxable income; and

(b) divide the amount obtained by the application of the last preceding paragraph by the number of pounds in the taxable income of the partnership.

———

SEVENTH SCHEDULE.

Rate of Tax Payable by a Severally Owned Partnership.

For every pound of the taxable income of a severally owned partnership, the rats of tax shall be determined as follows:—

(a) compute the total of the amounts of tax that would be payable by the several members specified under sub-section (2.) of section twenty-nine of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1922–1934, if the severally owned partnership were a partnership (other than a severally owned partnership) between those members with equal interests;

(b) from the total tax obtained by the application of the last preceding paragraph subtract the total of the amounts of tax actually payable by these several members on their own taxable incomes; and

(c) divide the difference obtained by the application of the last preceding paragraph by the number of pounds in the taxable income of the partnership.

 

Overview

The Income Tax Act 1934 was enacted to impose taxes on incomes and to establish a framework for the assessment and collection of income tax. The Act was assented to on 4 August 1934 by the King's Most Excellent Majesty, the Senate, and the House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Australia. The Income Tax Assessment Act 1922–1934 was incorporated and read as one with this Act, thereby streamlining the tax assessment process. The primary objective of this legislation was to introduce a structured system of income taxation, setting forth the rates for different sources of income and establishing a basis for further tax on income from property. This Act provides the foundational structure for the taxation of personal exertion, property income, and business income, aiming to generate revenue for the government while ensuring a fair distribution of the tax burden among different income sources and entities.

Scope and Application

The Income Tax Act 1934 applies to individuals, partnerships, companies, and trustees within the Commonwealth of Australia, imposing taxes on various forms of income such as income from personal exertion, income derived from property, and income earned by trustees and partnerships. The Act sets out specific rates of income tax for each category, as detailed in the schedules appended to the Act. Notably, the Act also includes a minimum tax liability of Ten shillings and imposes an additional six per centum tax on certain income from property. The scope of the Act extends to all assessments for financial years beginning on or after 1 July 1934, thereby covering both the financial year specified and subsequent years prior to the passing of another Act. The application of the Act is comprehensive and inclusive of various income sources and entities, with certain exclusions and conditions outlined in the schedules.

Key Provisions

The Income Tax Act 1934 (C1934A00031) primarily establishes the imposition of income tax on various forms of income derived by individuals, companies, and partnerships. Section 3 declares that income tax is imposed at the rates specified in the Act. Section 4 details the rates of income tax for different categories of income: income from personal exertion, income from property, income derived partly from personal exertion and partly from property, and income payable by trustees, companies, and partnerships. Additionally, section 5 imposes a further tax on income from property, interest, dividends, rents or royalties, and business income that is categorised as property income. The Act mandates that income tax must be levied and paid for the financial year beginning on the first day of July 1934, as stated in section 6(1). This levy also extends to assessments for subsequent financial years made prior to the passing of the Act for the levying and payment of income tax for the financial year beginning on the first day of July 1935, as outlined in section 6(2). Under the Act, taxpayers are obligated to declare their income and pay the appropriate tax based on the schedules provided. These schedules specify the rates of tax for different income sources and entities. For example, individuals earning income from personal exertion must refer to the First Schedule for tax rates, while those earning income from property must refer to the Second Schedule. The Act also outlines specific tax rates for companies, trustees, and various types of partnerships, as detailed in the subsequent schedules. Breach of the Act’s provisions can lead to legal consequences. Although the Act itself does not explicitly outline specific offences, penalties, or civil/criminal consequences for non-compliance, it is inherently understood that failure to declare income or pay the appropriate tax could result in penalties under the Income Tax Assessment Act 1922–1934, which is incorporated into this Act. Typically, such breaches may lead to fines or imprisonment, depending on the severity of the offence and the jurisdiction’s legal framework at the time. The precise penalties would be determined in accordance with the existing laws and regulations governing tax compliance.

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Area of Law
Taxation Law
Instrument
Act
Concepts
Definitions & Interpretation
Imposition of Income tax
Offence Provisions
Compliance Obligations
Enforcement Powers
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Sourced from the Federal Register of Legislation at 26 August 2026. For the latest information on Australian Government law please go to https://www.legislation.gov.au.