Private ruling: Foreign pension fund
Date of advice: 17 December 2015
Published: March 2016
Ruling period: Year ending 30 June 2016 | Year ending 30 June 2017 | Year ending 30 June 2018 | Year ending 30 June 2019 | Year ending 30 June 2020
Date scheme commenced: 1 July 2015

Ruling: Questions and answers | 1. Will any portion of future lump sum payments received from (the Fund) represent applicable fund earnings to be included in your assessable income under section 305-70 of the ITAA 1997? | No | 2. Is the whole lump sum payment you withdraw from your retirement fund assessable under section 99B of the ITAA 1936? | No. | 3. Is the amount withdrawn that represents accumulated foreign source income not previously taxed in Australia from the Fund, assessable in Australia? | Yes.

Relevant facts and circumstances: You are a resident of Australia for taxation purposes. You hold two interests in a retirement fund overseas and in a cash investment policy overseas. You intend on withdrawing lump sum payments from each of the funds. You have provided website links to information relating to the Fund which shows the Fund allows for access of benefits prior to retirement age for reasons such as healthcare, education and housing needs.

Relevant legislative provisions: 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) | Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 section 6-10 | Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 subsection 6-10(4) | Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 section10-5 | Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 Subsection 295-95(2) | Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 Section 305-70 | Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 Section 305-75 | Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 Subsection 995-1(1) | Superannuation Industry (Supervision) Act 1993 Section 10 | Superannuation Industry (Supervision) Act 1993 Section 19 | Superannuation Industry (Supervision) Act 1993 Section 62

Reasons for decision: 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 - 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. 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. Subsection 995-1(1) of the ITAA 1997, defines a superannuation fund as having the meaning given by section 10 of the Superannuation Industry (Supervision) Act 1993 (SIS Act), that is: a fund that: is an indefinitely continuing fund; and is a provident, benefit, superannuation or retirement fund; or a public sector superannuation scheme; | Detailed Reasoning - Provident, benefit, superannuation or retirement fund: The High Court examined both the terms superannuation fund and fund in Scott v Commissioner of Taxation of the Commonwealth (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 Commissioner of Taxation (Cth) (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 judgement 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 SIS Act, a regulated superannuation fund must be 'maintained solely' for the 'core purposes' of providing benefits to a member when the following events occur: (a) on or after retirement from gainful employment; or (b) attaining a prescribed age; and (c) on the member's death. (This may require the benefits being passed on to a member's dependants or legal representative). Though section 62 of the SIS Act also allows a superannuation fund to provide benefits for 'ancillary purposes', such as, benefits paid on the termination of employment in the event of ill-health and benefits for dependants following the death of a member after retirement or attaining the prescribed age, it should be noted that they do not extend to general or non-retirement purposes such as education, home purchases or medical expenses et cetera. Notwithstanding the SIS Act applies only to 'regulated superannuation funds', as defined in section 19 of the SIS Act, and foreign superannuation funds do not qualify as regulated superannuation funds, as they are established and operate outside Australia, the Commissioner views the SIS Act (and its regulations) 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 SIS Act. Therefore, notwithstanding the fact that a foreign superannuation fund may possess some features for the provision of funds in retirement, the Commissioner considers such a fund as not being a superannuation fund for Australian tax purposes if the fund: • can also be used as a savings plan for non-retirement purposes; and/or • contains provisions for pre-retirement withdrawals for general non-retirement purposes such as housing, education and medical expenses. It is noted that the Fund satisfies some of the requirements of a foreign superannuation fund as it is established and operated outside Australia and the central management and control is outside of Australia. However, the Fund is not exclusively a provident, benefit or superannuation fund because it does not provide benefits for the specific future purposes of the individual's retirement. Members can withdraw benefits to purchase health cover, housing, or for education. In other words, the Fund provides for the payment of benefits for reasons other than retirement and not solely (that is, exclusively) for retirement purposes. Accordingly, the 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. A foreign trust is defined in subsection 481(3) of the ITAA 1936 as a trust which is not an Australian trust, and which did not result from a will or an intestacy in relation to the estate of a deceased person. | 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 - Assessability of trust income: Section 6-10 of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 (ITAA 1997) provides that the assessable income of a resident taxpayer includes statutory income amounts that are not ordinary income but are included in assessable income by another provision. Subsection 6-10(4) of the ITAA 1997 provides that for an Australian resident, your assessable income includes statutory income derived from all sources, whether in or out of Australia, during the income year. Section 10-5 of the ITAA 1997 lists certain statutory amounts that form part of assessable income. Included in this list is income derived pursuant to section 99B of the ITAA 1936. Subsection 99B(1) of the ITAA 1936 provides that where, during a year of income, a beneficiary who was a resident at any time during the year is paid a distribution from a trust, or has an amount of trust property applied for their benefit, the amount is to be included in the assessable income of the beneficiary. 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 under subsection (1) is not to include any amount that represents either: • the corpus of the trust (paragraph 99B(2)(a) of the ITAA 1936) • amounts that would not have been included in the assessable income of a resident taxpayer (paragraph 99B(2)(b) of the ITAA 1936), and • amounts previously included in the beneficiaries income under section 97 of the ITAA 1936 (paragraph 99B(2)(c) of the ITAA1936). Paragraph 99B(2)(a) of the ITAA 1936 requires regard to be had to whether or not the amount derived by a trust estate was of a kind that would have been assessable if derived by a resident taxpayer. Thus, for example, if, in accordance with the terms of the trust, income were accumulated and added to corpus and the capitalised amount is subsequently paid or applied for the benefit of a beneficiary, the beneficiary would be assessable on the amount provided (subject to other paragraphs of subsection 99B(2) of the ITAA 1936). Withdrawn amounts are similar to a distribution from a trust, any amounts distributed (withdrawn) or credited from a foreign trust are assessable under subsection 99B(1) of the ITAA 1936. However, the amount assessable under subsection 99B(1) of the ITAA 1936 does not include amounts listed under subsection 99B(2) of the ITAA 1936. A capital distribution, to the extent that it forms part of the corpus of the trust, would come within paragraph 99B(2)(a) of the ITAA 1936. Distributions, to the extent that comes within subsection 99B(2) of the ITAA 1936, would be excluded from amounts assessable under subsection 99B(1) of the ITAA 1936. Therefore, only income accumulated in the Fund over the years that is normally taxable in Australia and had not been previously subjected to tax in Australia would be assessable to you under subsection 99B(1) of the ITAA 1936. For example, if the amounts in the Fund were amounts paid in by the taxpayer and interest earned over the years, all of the interest would be assessable when received by the taxpayer, but not the taxpayer's contributions. Amounts assessable under subsection 99B(1) of the ITAA 1936 form part of your assessable income under subsection 6-10(4) of the ITAA 1997. | Detailed Reasoning - Interest charge on distributions of accumulated trust income: An Australian resident may be liable to interest under the Taxation (Interest on Non-resident Trust Distributions) Act 1990, where their assessable income includes an amount from non-resident trust assessed under section 99B of the ITAA 1936. Subsection 102AAM(1) of the ITAA 1936 may make a taxpayer liable to pay interest to the Commissioner, on distributions from certain non-resident trust estates. The interest is calculated on the following amount: (distributed amount x applicable rate of tax) - FTC "Distributed amount" is the amount included in assessable income of the taxpayer under section 99B of the ITAA 1936 and grossed up by any foreign tax in respect of the distribution. "Applicable rate of tax" is maximum rate of tax payable by the taxpayer. "FTC" is the foreign tax credit which is attributable to the amount of the distribution included in the taxpayer's assessable income.