ATO ID 2006/246: GST and superannuation fund: supply of information about a member's interest to the member in accordance with the Family Law Act 1975
Date of decision: 31 August 2006
Business line: Indirect Tax

Issue
Is the entity, a trustee of a regulated superannuation fund (within the meaning of the Superannuation Industry (Supervision) Act 1993 ), liable for GST under section 9-40 of the A New Tax System (Goods and Services Tax) Act 1999 (GST Act), in respect of the supply of information about a member's superannuation interest to the member in accordance with the requirements of the Family Law Act 1975 ?

Decision
No. The entity is not liable for GST under section 9-40 of the GST Act on the supply of information about a member's superannuation interest to a member, as the supply is made input taxed under section 40-5 of the GST Act.

Facts
The Family Law Legislation Amendment (Superannuation) Act 2001 allows the parties to a marriage to make a superannuation agreement, in the context of a financial agreement. The agreement specifies how a superannuation interest will be divided when the parties separate. Superannuation agreements will be binding if they comply with the requirements of Pt VIIIB of the Family Law Act. When a superannuation agreement is binding, the entity will be required by law to give effect to the agreement. If the parties are unable to agree about how to divide a superannuation interest on separation, the court will have the power to make an order about a superannuation interest that will bind the third party superannuation trustee. An order about a superannuation interest will be made in proceedings for a property order under section 79 of the Family Law Act. In order to calculate the value of a superannuation interest, the parties to a superannuation agreement or the court will need certain information from the entity. The entity must provide information, on request from an eligible person, about the superannuation interest of a member. Only the member, a spouse of the member and a person who intends to enter into a superannuation agreement with the member (that is, under a pre-nuptial superannuation agreement) can be an eligible person. A person applying for information from the entity must make a declaration that the information is required for either or both of the following purposes: The entity is registered for GST purposes, and charges a fee for the provision of such information (that is connected with Australia) in the course of the enterprise that it carries on. There are no facts to indicate that a GST-free supply has been made.

Reasons for decision
Summary: In accordance with section 9-40 of the GST Act, an entity is liable for GST on any taxable supply that it makes. Under section 9-5 of the GST Act, an entity makes a taxable supply if: However, the supply is not a taxable supply to the extent that it is GST-free or input taxed. To satisfy the first requirement in section 9-5 of the GST Act, an entity must make a 'supply' for 'consideration'. Paragraph 47 of Goods and Services Tax Ruling GSTR 2001/6 provides that there needs to be a supply, a payment and the necessary relationship between the supply and the payment. Subsection 9-10(1) of the GST Act provides that a 'supply' is any form of supply whatsoever. Without limiting this meaning, paragraphs 9-10(2)(c) and 9-10(2)(f) of the GST Act respectively state that a 'supply' includes: Subsection 9-15(1) of the GST Act provides that consideration includes any payment, or any act or forbearance, in connection with, in response to or for the inducement of a supply of anything. The entity's provision of information about a member's superannuation interest to the member for a fee is a supply for consideration. The positive requirements of section 9-5 of the GST Act are satisfied. It is therefore necessary to consider whether the supply made is GST-free or input taxed. The facts of the case do not suggest that the supply is GST-free under Division 38 of the GST Act. Therefore, it needs to be considered whether the supply is an input taxed supply under Division 40 of the GST Act. Section 40-5 of the GST Act establishes that a financial supply is input taxed and has the meaning given by the A New Tax System (Goods and Services Tax) Regulations 1999 (GST Regulations). In accordance with regulation 40-5.09(1) of the GST Regulations, the provision, acquisition or disposal of an interest in or under a regulated superannuation fund (within the meaning of the Superannuation Industry (Supervision) Act 1993) is a financial supply where the provision, acquisition or disposal of that interest is: In this case, the entity provides an interest in a regulated superannuation fund (a financial interest mentioned in item 4 of subregulation 40-5.09(3)) to the member which comprises of a bundle of rights. By the entity providing information about the member's interest in the regulated superannuation fund to the member, the entity is giving effect to the member's financial interest. The provision of information to the member in this circumstance is a corollary of the financial interest supplied by the entity, and is therefore regarded to be a financial supply under subregulation 40-5.09(1) of the GST Regulations. Therefore, the entity is not liable for GST under section 9-40 of the GST Act as the provision of information about a member's superannuation interest to a member is an input taxed supply under section 40-5 of the GST Act.

Legislative references: A New Tax System (Goods and Services Tax) Act 1999 section 9-5 subsection 9-10(1) paragraph 9-10(2)(c) paragraph 9-10(2)(f) subsection 9-15(1) section 9-40 subsection 40-5(1) Subdivision 40-A
Related public rulings and determinations: Goods and Services Tax Ruling GSTR 2001/6
Related ATO interpretative decisions: ATO ID 2006/245
Subject references: Goods and services tax GST financial supplies GST superannuation funds Input taxed supplies