Private ruling: Lump sum compensation payment
Date of advice: 15 March 2019
Published: May 2019
Ruling period: Year ending 30 June 2019
Date scheme commenced: 1 July 2018

Ruling: Q1: Is the portion of the lump sum payment you received pursuant to section 53 of the Return to Work Act 2014 (SA) (RWA) assessable as ordinary income? | A1: Yes. | Q2: Is the portion of the lump sum payment you received pursuant to section s 54 of the RWA assessable as either ordinary income or as a capital gain? | A2: No.

Relevant facts and circumstances: You suffered multiple work injuries over an extended period of time, while employed by the employer. You made a claim for compensation pursuant to the RWA, which was accepted. You entered into an agreement for the redemption of your entitlement to future weekly payments and future medial and like expenses pursuant to sections 53 and 54 of the RWA. You have been paid a payment for weekly payments and a payment for medical and like expenses. You have provided a signed copy of the redemption agreement. The employer is a self-insured employer within the meaning of the RWA. You received the lump sum. You no longer work for the employer.

Relevant legislative provisions: Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 section 6-5 | Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 section 6-10 | Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 section 104-25 | Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 subparagraph 118-37(1)(a)(i)

Reasons for decision: Summary: The payment that relates to the redemption of your entitlement to future weekly payments is assessable as ordinary income. The payment that relates giving up your rights to future medical and other expenses of the kind is not assessable as either ordinary or statutory income, you are not required to include the amount in your assessable income. | Detailed Reasoning - Detailed reasoning: Section 6-5 and section 6-10 of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 (ITAA 1997) provides that the assessable income of an Australian resident 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, you have received a dissected lump sum, with the payment being pursuant to several sections of the Return to Work Act 2014 (SA) (RWA). Therefore, in order to determine the taxation treatment of your lump sum payment the nature of the individual components must be examined. Section 53 of the RWA Taxation Determination TD 2016/18 Income tax: is a redemption payment received by a worker under the Return to Work Act 2014 (SA) assessable income of the worker, states that a payment made under section 53 of the RWA is ordinary income of the worker and is therefore assessable under section 6-5 of the ITAA 1997 in the income year in which it is received. Therefore, you will need to include in your 2019 income tax return the portion of your lump sum that relates to the redemption of your entitlement to future weekly payments under section 53 of the RWA. Section 54 of the RWA You have received a lump sum redemption amount pursuant to section 54 of the RWA and the amount received will be in satisfaction of giving up your rights to future medical and other expenses of the kind referred to in section 33 of the RWA. These are rights of a capital nature and the money you received is to compensate you for the relinquishment of these rights will similarly be of a capital nature. Therefore, the payment will not be assessable as ordinary income. 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 payments under section 54 of the RWA has been 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. 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 payments will not be assessable as statutory income. As the lump sum payment received pursuant to section 54 of the RWA is not assessable as either ordinary or statutory income, you are not required to include the amount in your assessable income. Additionally, as the criteria in subsection 82-135(i) of the ITAA 1997 are satisfied the payment is excluded from being an Eligible Termination Payment.