Private ruling: Lump sum payment from a foreign superannuation fund
Published: February 2014
Ruling period: 2013-14 income year
Date scheme commenced: 1 July 2013

Ruling: Q1: Is any part of the benefits transferred from a pension scheme in an overseas country to an Australian superannuation fund assessable as applicable fund earnings under section 305-75 of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 (ITAA 1997)? | A1: Yes.

Relevant facts and circumstances: 1. You ceased employment with the overseas employer several years ago. 2. You became a resident of Australia for tax purposes several years ago. 3. You held an interest in the Pension Fund, a pension scheme in an overseas country. 4. The value of your total benefits in the Pension Fund on the day before you became an Australian resident has been determined. 5. You advised the value of your benefits in the Pension Fund during the 2013-14 income year. 6. No further contributions have been paid to the Pension Fund since you became a resident of Australia. 7. There have been no transfers into the Pension Fund from other foreign pension schemes by you since becoming a resident of Australia. 8. Funds cannot be accessed from the Pension Fund other than at retirement. 9. You do not have an interest in the Pension Fund once the lump sum was paid during the relevant income year. 10. The payment from the Pension Fund was transferred to a complying superannuation fund.

Relevant legislative provisions: Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 Subsection 295-95(2) | Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 Section 305-70 | Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 Subsection 305-70(1) | Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 Section 305-75 | Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 Subsection 305-75(2) | Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 Subsection 305-75 (3) | Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 Subsection 305-75 (5) | Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 Subsection 305-75 (6) | Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 Section 305-80 | Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 Subsection 305-80 (1) | Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 Subsection 305-80 (2) | Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 Subsection 305-80 (3) | Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 Subsection 960-50(1) | Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 Subsection 960-50(4) | Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 Subsection 995-1(1)

Reasons for decision: Summary: 11. The 'applicable fund earnings' in respect of the lump sum payment paid from the Pension Fund is calculated as an amount. 12. Consequently, an amount of the lump sum payment from the Pension Fund must be included in your assessable income in the relevant income year. 13. Alternatively, you can elect to have all or part of the assessable 'applicable fund earnings' from the Pension Fund treated as assessable income of your complying Australian superannuation fund because immediately after the relevant payment was made, you no longer had an interest in the foreign fund. | Detailed Reasoning - Lump sum payments transferred from foreign superannuation funds: 14. The applicable fund earnings in relation to a lump sum payment from a foreign superannuation fund , that is received more than six months after a person has become an Australian resident, will be assessable under section 305-70 of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 (ITAA 1997). 15. The applicable fund earnings is subject to tax at the person's marginal rate. The remainder of the lump sum payment is not assessable income and is not exempt income. 16. The applicable fund earnings is the amount worked out under either subsection 305-75(2) or (3) of the ITAA 1997. Subsection 305-75(2) applies where the person was an Australian resident at all times during the period to which the lump sum relates. Subsection 305-75(3) applies where the person was not an Australian resident at all times during the period to which the lump sum relates. 17. Before determining whether an amount is assessable under section 305-70 of the ITAA 1997, it is necessary to ascertain whether the payment is being made from a foreign superannuation fund. If the entity making the payment is not a foreign superannuation fund then section 305-70 will not have any application. | Detailed Reasoning - Foreign superannuation fund: 18. A foreign superannuation fund is defined in subsection 995-1(1) of the ITAA 1997 as follows: (a) a superannuation fund is a foreign superannuation fund at a time if the fund is not an Australian superannuation fund at that time; and (b) a superannuation fund is a foreign superannuation fund for an income year if the fund is not an Australian superannuation fund for the income year. 19. Subsection 295-95(2) of the ITAA 1997 defines an Australian superannuation fund as follows: A superannuation fund is an Australian superannuation fund at a time, and for the income year in which that time occurs, if: (a) the fund was established in Australia, or any asset of the fund is situated in Australia at that time; and (b) at that time, the central management and control of the fund is ordinarily in Australia; and (c) at that time either the fund had no member covered by subsection (3) (an active member ) or at least 50% of: (i) the total market value of the fund's assets attributable to superannuation interests held by active members; or (ii) the sum of the amounts that would be payable to or in respect of active members if they voluntarily ceased to be members; is attributable to superannuation interests held by active members who are Australian residents. 20. Thus, a superannuation fund that is established outside of Australia and has its central management and control outside of Australia would qualify as a foreign superannuation fund. The fact that some of its members may be Australian residents would not necessarily alter this. 21. The documentation provided indicates that in respect of your pension fund, benefits are only paid on retirement and the pension fund would meet the definition of a superannuation fund. In addition, it is clear the payer of the lump sum payment is established outside of Australia with their central management and control outside of Australia. Therefore, on the basis of the information provided, the Commissioner considers the lump sum payment you received is from a foreign superannuation fund as defined in subsection 995-1(1) of the ITAA 1997. | Detailed Reasoning - Applicable fund earnings: 22. You became a resident of Australia for tax purposes several years ago and received the lump sum payment in respect of the Pension Fund during the relevant income year. As this was more than six months after you became an Australian resident, in respect of each payment, section 305-70 applies to include the 'applicable fund earnings' in your assessable income. 23. The 'applicable fund earnings' are worked out under section 305-75. As mentioned earlier, subsection 305-75(3) applies where the person becomes an Australian resident after the start of the period to which the lump sum relates. 24. Subsection 305-75(3) of the ITAA 1997 states: If you become an Australian resident after the start of the period to which the lump sum relates, the amount of your applicable fund earnings is the amount (not less than zero) worked out as follows: (a) work out the total of the following amounts: (i) The amount in the fund that was vested in you just before the day (the start day ) you first became an Australian resident during the period; (ii) the part of the payment that is attributable to contributions to the fund made by or in respect of you during the remainder of the period; (iii) the part of the payment (if any) that is attributable to amounts transferred into the fund from any other foreign superannuation fund during the period; (b) subtract that total amount from the amount in the fund that was vested in you when the lump sum was paid (before any deduction for foreign tax); (c) multiply the resulting amount by the proportion of the total days during the period when you were an Australian resident; (d) add the total of all previously exempt fund earnings (if any) covered by subsections (5) and (6). 25. In short, you are assessed only on the income earned (the accretion) in respect of the Pension Fund less any contributions you made since you became a resident of Australia. Further, any amounts representative of earnings during periods of non-residency, and transfers into the paying fund do not form part of the taxable amount when the overseas benefit is paid. | Detailed Reasoning - Foreign currency conversion: 26. Subsection 960-50(1) of the ITAA 1997 states that an amount in a foreign currency is to be translated into Australian dollars (A$). The applicable fund earnings is the result of a calculation from two other amounts and subsection 960-50(4) states that when applying section 960-50 to amounts that are elements in the calculation of another amount you need to: (a) first, translate any amounts that are elements in the calculation of other amounts (except special accrual amounts); and (b) then, calculate the other amounts. 27. All exchange rates are published on the ATO's website. | Detailed Reasoning - Amounts to be used in calculation: 28. The benefit in the Pension Fund on the day before you became a resident of Australia is converted into Australian dollars at the exchange rate that applied on that day. 29. From the facts provided no contributions have been made to the Pension Fund since you migrated to Australia. There have been no transfers into the Pension Fund from other foreign pension schemes by you since becoming a resident of Australia. 30. During the relevant income year your benefits in the Pension Fund was paid out to you in the form of a one-off lump sum. Therefore this is the amount vested in you when the lump sum was paid. This is converted into Australian dollars at the exchange rate that applied on that day. You have stated that during the subsequent income year the lump sum payment was converted to Australian dollars for an amount. 31. 'The period' for the purposes of paragraph 305-75(3)(c) of the ITAA 1997 commences on the day on which the person first became an Australian resident and ceases on the day the lump sum is paid. You were a resident for the whole of that period. Therefore, the Australian resident days and the total days are the same, and so the proportion to be used in the calculation is 1. 32. There are no previously exempt fund earnings in relation to the lump sum. 33. Applying subsection 305-75(3) of the ITAA 1997 to you circumstances, the amounts to be used in calculating the applicable fund earnings for the Pension Fund is as follows: 305-75(3)(a)(i) The amount, converted to Australian dollars, vested in your client before they became a resident of Australia 305-75(3)(a)(ii) Nil 305-75(3)(a)(iii) Nil 305-75(3)(b) The amount of the lump sum payment received, converted to Australian dollars 305-75(3)(c) 1 305-75(3)(d) Nil | Detailed Reasoning - Calculation of the assessable amount of the payment from the Pension Fund: 34. In accordance with subsection 305-75(3) of the ITAA 1997 the amounts determined at sub-paragraphs 305-75(3)(a)(i), (ii) and (iii) are added. 35. This total is then subtracted from the amount determined under paragraph 305-75(3)(b). This figure is multiplied by the proportion of the total days determined under paragraph 305-75(3)(c). 36. To this figure we add the amounts determined under paragraph 305-75(3)(d). 37. An amount of the lump sum payment from the Pension Fund must be included as assessable 'applicable fund earnings' in your tax return for the subsequent income year. | Detailed Reasoning - Election: 38. A taxpayer transferring their overseas superannuation directly to an Australian complying superannuation fund more than six months after becoming a resident, may be able to elect under subsection 305-80(2) of the ITAA 1997 to have all or part of the payment treated as assessable income of the Australian superannuation fund. 39. As a result, the amount specified in the election notice will be included as assessable income of the superannuation fund and subject to tax at 15% rather than being included in the taxpayer's assessable income and subject to tax at the taxpayer's marginal rate. 40. You can elect to have all or part of the 'applicable fund earnings' from the Pension Fund treated as assessable income of your complying Australian superannuation fund because immediately after the relevant payment was made, you no longer had an interest in the foreign fund (subsection 305-80(1) of the ITAA 1997). 41. The election must be in writing, specify the amount to be covered by the election and comply with any requirements specified in the Income Tax Regulations (subsection 305-80(3) of the ITAA 1997). 42. An amount that is covered by an election under section 305-80 of the ITAA 1997 will not be treated as either a concessional contribution or a non-concessional contribution to the Australian superannuation fund. Consequently, this amount will not count towards your concessional or non-concessional contributions caps for the relevant income year. | Detailed Reasoning - Conclusion:: 43. The part of the lump sum payment from the Pension Fund which was transferred to your Australian superannuation fund that is assessable as the applicable fund earnings is an amount. 44. You can elect to have all or part of the 'applicable fund earnings' from the Pension Fund treated as assessable income of your complying Australian superannuation fund because immediately after the relevant payment was made, you will no longer have an interest in the foreign fund.