What this ruling covers
The Australian Taxation Office has issued class ruling CR 2026/71, dated 30 September 2026. The ruling confirms that employers who use SmarTrak Aust Pty Ltd's PoolCar booking system can use the system's logbook and odometer reports to meet FBT record-keeping requirements under the operating cost method (also called the cost basis method).
The ruling applies both before and after its issue date of 30 September 2026.
Conditions the system must meet
The ruling applies only when PoolCar is used correctly. The following conditions are stated in the ruling:
- The system must be set so that employees are required to record odometer readings, the private/business split, and a journey description at the time of each trip or shortly after.
- Journey purpose descriptions must be specific enough to classify each trip as business or private. Vague entries do not satisfy the requirement.
- Business journey purposes must be entered within one week of the trip occurring. Entries recorded outside that window do not count as valid logbook records under this ruling.
- If PoolCar is not used for the full holding period in a logbook year, odometer readings must be separately recorded at the start and end of the period the car was held, and business kilometres must be estimated using all available data including PoolCar reports.
Effect of the ruling
Where the conditions are met, the ATO will not impose extra tax, penalties, or interest on the FBT car benefit calculations covered by the ruling.
Key actions
The ruling identifies the following steps for employers using PoolCar for FBT car records:
- Check that the setting requiring employees to record odometer readings, the private/business split, and a journey description has been enabled.
- Confirm that every business journey entered in PoolCar includes a purpose description specific enough to classify it as a business trip.
- Confirm that all business journey purposes are entered within one week of the trip occurring.
- If PoolCar is not used for the full holding period in a logbook year, separately record odometer readings at the start and end of the holding period and estimate business kilometres using all available data including PoolCar reports.
- Read the full ruling at https://www.ato.gov.au/law/view/document?docid=CLR/CR202671/NAT/ATO/00001 to confirm all conditions that apply.
This is a plain-English summary for information only, not legal or compliance advice. Always check the official source or consult a qualified professional.