Private ruling: Lump sum payment
Date of advice: 18 July 2017
Published: November 2017
Ruling period: Year ended 30 June 2017 | Year ending 30 June 2018
Date scheme commenced: 1 July 2016

Ruling: Q1: Will the lump sum you have been offered or any portion thereof be included in your assessable income? | A1: No.

Relevant facts and circumstances: You sustained an injury as a result of a work place incident. Due to this injury you have been assessed as suffering a percentage of whole person impairment (WPI) and are entitled to receive a lump sum payment for the loss of future income earning capacity. The payment you will receive is based on a sum prescribed by statue.

Relevant legislative provisions: Income Tax Assessment Act section 6-5 | Income Tax Assessment Act section 6-10 | Income Tax Assessment Act section 104-25 | Income Tax Assessment Act subparagraph 118 37(1)(a)(i)

Reasons for decision: Summary: Section 6-5 and section 6-10 of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 (ITAA 1997) provides that the assessable income of a resident taxpayer includes ordinary and statutory income (for example, capital gains) derived directly and indirectly from all sources, whether in or out of Australia during the income year The ITAA 1997 does not provide specific guidance on the meaning of ordinary income. However, a substantial body of case law exists which identifies its likely characteristics. Amounts that are periodic, regular or recurrent and relied upon by the recipient for their regular expenditure are likely to be ordinary income, as are amounts that are the product of any employment of, or services rendered by, the recipient. Further, amounts which compensate for lost income or serve as a substitute for other income are themselves income according to ordinary concepts. In your case, due to a work place injury you have been assessed as suffering a degree of permanent impairment (being whole person impairment). Due to this assessment you are entitled to a lump sum payment for loss of future earing capacity. Such amounts do not have the character of ordinary income as they are based on a sum prescribed by statue which bears no relationship to your current or former earnings. Therefore, the lump sum amount will be capital in nature and not assessable as ordinary income. | Detailed Reasoning - Statutory income: The receipt of a lump sum compensation amount may give rise to a capital gain (statutory income) under CGT event C2 (section 104-25 of the ITAA 1997) which relates to cancellation, surrender or similar endings. However, a capital gain or loss made upon the ending of a CGT asset acquired on or after 20 September 1985 is disregarded under subparagraph 118-37(1)(a)(i) of the ITAA 1997, if the CGT event is in relation to compensation or damages received for any wrong or injury you suffer in your occupation. In your case, the lump sum payment will be received as compensation for a 'wrong or injury you have suffered in your occupation’, being the loss of body functionality in respect of your workplace injury/injuries. Therefore, any capital gain or capital loss arising from the CGT event will be disregarded under subparagraph 118 37(1)(a)(i) of the ITAA 1997 and the payment will not be assessable as statutory income. As the lump sum payment pursuant is not assessable as either ordinary or statutory income, you would not be required to include the amount in your assessable income.