Changes to the tax treatment of commercial lease payments

If you’re considering entering or exiting a commercial lease arrangement in the coming months we advise you to contact us to discuss the potential tax implications arising from proposed changes effective 1 April 2013.

Lease inducement payments are a lump sum paid by a commercial landlord to a tenant providing incentive to enter a lease arrangement in times of high lease vacancy.  Currently such payments are treated as deductible for the landlord and as capital or non-taxable receipts for the tenant. 

The proposed changes will make lease inducement payments taxable income for the tenant with the income spread evenly over the lease term.  Landlords will now also have to spread the deduction over the lease term.

Lease surrender payments are a lump sum paid by the tenant to a landlord to exit a long term lease. Generally lease surrender payments are treated as taxable to the landlord, but non-deductible to the tenant.  In future these payments will be made tax deductible to the tenant.

Both proposed changes will only apply to leases entered on or after 1 April 2013.  Effectively landlords and tenants will in future receive symmetrical tax treatment for receipts and payments.