Private ruling: Lump sum payments from foreign superannuation funds
Date of advice: 21 June 2019
Published: September 2019
Ruling period: Income year ending 30 June 2019
Date scheme commenced: 1 July 2018

Ruling: Q1: Is any part of the benefit to be received by you from the XYZ Fund (the XYZ Fund) as the result of your XYZ citizenship renouncement assessable as applicable fund earnings under section 305-70 of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 (ITAA 1997)? | A1: No | Q2: Is the interest on the fund assessable in Australia under section 99B of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1936 (ITAA 1936)? | A2: Yes

Relevant facts and circumstances: You became a permanent resident of Australia in late 2003 and a resident of Australia for taxation purposes. You hold an interest in the XYZ Fund, a pension scheme in XYZ (the XYZ Fund). You have supplied information from the XYZ Fund which provides the conditions of withdrawal from the XYZ Fund and states: Your contributions go into three accounts: · Ordinary Account - the savings can be used to buy a home, pay for CPF insurance, investment and education · Special Account - for old age and investment in retirement-related financial products. · Medisave Account - the savings can be used for hospitalisation expenses and approved medical insurance. You did not roll over your benefits into an Australian superannuation fund upon returning to Australia. You plan to withdraw your benefits in the XYZ Fund in the future. The XYZ Fund has advised that they are not able to roll over your benefits to an Australian superannuation fund, but can only make payment to a personal private bank account.

Relevant legislative provisions: Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 section 6-10 | Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 subsection 6-10(4) | Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 section 10-5 | Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 subsection 295-95(2) | Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 section 301-10 | Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 section 305-70 | Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 section 305-75 | Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 section 960-50 | 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 | Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 subsection 995-1(1) | Income Tax Assessment Act 1936 section 99B. | Income Tax Assessment Act 1936 subsection 99B(1) | Income Tax Assessment Act 1936 paragraph 99B(2)(a) | Income Tax Assessment Act 1936 subsection 481(3) | Superannuation Industry (Supervision) Act 1993 section 10 | Superannuation Industry (Supervision) Act 1993 section 62

Reasons for decision: Summary: The XYZ Fund does not fall within the definition of a foreign superannuation fund and subsection 305-70(2) of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 (ITAA 1997) will not have any application in this instance. | Detailed Reasoning - Lump sum payments from foreign superannuation funds: If a person receives a lump sum payment from a foreign superannuation fund more than six months after the person becomes a resident of Australia, section 305-70 of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 (ITAA 1997) will operate to include the applicable fund earnings in the person's assessable income. The applicable fund earnings are 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 becomes an Australian resident after the start of the period to which the lump sum relates. However, before determining whether an amount is assessable under subsection 305-70(2) 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 subsection 305-70(2) will not have any application. | Detailed Reasoning - Meaning of 'foreign superannuation fund': 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. Relevantly, subsection 295-95(2) of the ITAA 1997 defines '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. 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. | Detailed Reasoning - Meaning of 'superannuation fund': 'Superannuation fund' is defined in subsection 995-1(1) of the ITAA 1997 as having the meaning given by section 10 of the Superannuation Industry (Supervision) Act 1993 (SISA). Subsection 10(1) of the SISA provides that: superannuation fund means: (a) a fund that: (i) is an indefinitely continuing fund; and (ii) is a provident, benefit, superannuation or retirement fund; or (b) a public sector superannuation scheme. | Detailed Reasoning - Meaning of 'provident, benefit, superannuation or retirement fund': The High Court examined both the terms superannuation fund and fund in Scott v . Federal Commissioner of Taxation (No. 2) (1966) 10 AITR 290; (1966) 40 ALJR 265; (1966) 14 ATD 333 (Scott). In that case, Justice Windeyer stated: ...I have come to the conclusion that there is no essential single attribute of a superannuation fund established for the benefit of employees except that it must be a fund bona fide devoted as its sole purpose to providing for employees who are participants money benefits (or benefits having a monetary value) upon their reaching a prescribed age. In this connexion "fund", I take it, ordinarily means money (or investments) set aside and invested, the surplus income therefrom being capitalised. I do not put this forward as a definition, but rather as a general description. The issue of what constitutes a provident, benefit, superannuation or retirement fund was discussed by the Full Bench of the High Court in Mahony v. Federal Commissioner of Taxation (1967) 41 ALJR 232; (1967) 14 ATD 519 ( Mahony ). In that case, Justice Kitto held that a fund had to exclusively be a 'provident, benefit or superannuation fund' and that 'connoted a purpose narrower than the purpose of conferring benefits in a completely general sense...". This narrower purpose meant that the benefits had to be 'characterised by some specific future purpose' such as the example given by Justice Kitto of a funeral benefit. Furthermore, Justice Kitto's judgment indicated that a fund does not satisfy any of the three provisions, that is, 'provident, benefit or superannuation fund', if there exist provisions for the payment of benefits 'for any other reason whatsoever'. In other words, though a fund may contain provisions for retirement purposes, it could not be accepted as a superannuation fund if it contained provisions that benefits could be paid in circumstances other than those relating to retirement. In section 62 of the SISA, a regulated superannuation fund must be 'maintained solely' for the purposes of providing benefits to a member when the events occur: · on or after retirement from gainful employment; or · attaining a prescribed age; and · on the member's death (this may require the benefits being passed on to a member's dependants or legal representative). Notwithstanding the SISA applies only to 'regulated superannuation funds' (as defined in section 19 of the SISA), and foreign superannuation funds do not qualify as regulated superannuation funds as they are established and operate outside Australia, the Commissioner views the SISA (and the Superannuation Industry (Supervision) Regulations 1994 (SISR)) as providing guidance as to what 'benefit' or 'specific future purpose' a superannuation fund should provide. In view of the legislation and the decisions made in Scott and Mahony , the Commissioner's view is that for a fund to be classified as a superannuation fund, it must exclusively provide a narrow range of benefits that are characterised by some specific future purpose. That is, the payment of superannuation benefits upon retirement, invalidity or death of the individual or as specified under the SISA and the SISR. In this case, information available indicates that as well as providing benefits on retirement, invalidity and death, the XYZ Fund also provides benefits for purposes such as: · to pay medical costs incurred by the Participant, including medical insurance and hospitalisation expenses; · to purchase the Participants home; or · to pay education expenses. Because the benefits in the XYZ Fund are also paid for other than retirement purposes, the XYZ Fund does not meet the 'sole purpose test' and therefore cannot be considered a 'superannuation fund' for Australian income tax purposes. Accordingly, the XYZ Fund does not fall within the definition of a foreign superannuation fund and subsection 305-70(2) of the ITAA 1997 will not have any application in this instance. | Summary: The interest in the fund is considered assessable in Australian and section 99B of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1936 (ITAA 1936) will have application in this instance. | Detailed Reasoning - Tax consequences of proceeds from a foreign trust: The Commissioner considers that the overseas fund is not a 'foreign superannuation fund' as defined in subsection 995-1(1) of the ITAA 1997. The overseas fund is a foreign trust as defined in subsection 481(3) of the ITAA 1936 and is therefore a foreign investment fund (FIF). | Detailed Reasoning - Repeal of FIF measures: On 14 July 2010, the FIF measures were repealed and do not apply from the 2010-11 income year onwards. If you have an interest in a FIF, you will be subject to the general tax rules applicable to your circumstances - for example, the general tax rules relating to trust income. | Detailed Reasoning - Receipt of trust income not previously subject to tax in Australia: A fund in the nature of a retirement or investment plan/fund is similar to a trust as the fund holds property, such as cash, shares or securities, for the benefit of the account holder. Section 99B of the ITAA 1936 deals with the receipt of trust income 'not previously subject to tax' in Australia and applies where an Australian resident taxpayer receives a lump sum payment from a foreign retirement or investment fund. Section 99B takes precedence over section 97 in assessing these types of payments. Subsection 99B(1) of the ITAA 1936 provides that where an amount, being property of a trust estate, is paid to, or applied for the benefit of a beneficiary of the trust who was a resident at any time during the year of income, the amount is to be included in the assessable income of the beneficiary. However, subsection 99B(2) of the ITAA 1936 modifies the rule in subsection 99B(1) and has the effect that the amount to be included in assessable income is notto include any amount that represents the corpus of the trust, but not an amount that is attributable to income of the trust which would have been included in the assessable income of a resident taxpayer if it had been derived by that taxpayer. Consequently, the assessable amount is the total amount received less any amounts deposited to the fund (the corpus) by the taxpayer, or on their behalf. The rule is that the taxpayer is taxed only on the earnings of the investment on withdrawal, not on the corpus returned to them. Any earnings in the funds are only assessable in Australia on withdrawal from the funds.