Borrowing costs - Lenders Mortgage Insurance

Is a premium incurred by a borrower for lenders mortgage insurance, deductible under section 25-25 of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 (ITAA 1997) where it is taken out as a condition of a bank loan being approved and the loan is used to purchase an income producing asset?

Yes. A premium a borrower incurs for lenders mortgage insurance is deductible under section 25-25 of the ITAA 1997 as a cost of borrowing where taking out the insurance is a condition of obtaining approval for a bank loan and the loan is used to purchase an income producing asset.

The taxpayer purchased an income producing asset financed by a bank loan. The bank loan is solely for the purpose of purchasing the asset and was taken out over a 10 year period.

As a condition of finance approval, the taxpayer was required to take out lenders mortgage insurance by the bank at a cost exceeding $100. A once and for all payment for the lenders mortgage insurance was made at the time the loan was taken out. The insurance policy protects the bank in case of default by the borrower.

Section 8-1 of the ITAA 1997 allows a deduction for all losses and outgoings to the extent to which they are incurred in gaining or producing assessable income except where the outgoings are of a capital, private or domestic nature, or relate to the earning of exempt income.

Lenders mortgage insurance protects the lender from loss in the event that the borrower defaults on the loan. In the situation where an insurance claim is made, the proceeds are applied to the loan. The insurance does not protect the borrower's capacity to derive income from the asset.

The lenders mortgage insurance premium is a payment to enable an income producing asset to be purchased and is to protect the bank from loss. The payment is not incurred in gaining or producing assessable income. The taxpayer is therefore not entitled to a deduction under section 8-1 of the ITAA 1997.

However, section 25-25 of the ITAA 1997 states that the taxpayer can deduct expenditure they incur for borrowing money to the extent that they use the borrowed money for the purpose of producing assessable income. As the taxpayer is required to take out lenders mortgage protection insurance as a condition of getting finance approval the cost of the insurance is a borrowing cost.

Borrowing costs not exceeding $100 are fully deductible in the year in which they are incurred.

If the total borrowing costs exceed $100, the deduction is spread over the period of the loan or 5 years - whichever is the shorter period.

Subsection 25-25(5) defines the period of the loan as the shortest of: (a) the period of the loan as specified in the original loan contract; or (b) the period starting on the first day on which the money was borrowed and ending on the day the loan is repaid; or (c) 5 years starting on the first day on which the money was borrowed.

The method for calculating the deduction for each income year is contained in subsection 25-25(4) of the ITAA 1997.

As the lenders mortgage insurance expense exceeded $100 and the loan was taken out for a 10 year period, the taxpayer is entitled to a deduction spread over 5 years for the cost of the insurance under section 25-25 of the ITAA 1997.