Private ruling: Lump sum payment from a foreign superannuation fund
Published: August 2012
Ruling period: Year ending 30 June 2012
Date scheme commenced: 1 July 2011

Ruling: Q1: Is any part of the benefits transferred from your client's foreign pension scheme to an Australian superannuation fund assessable as applicable fund earnings under section 305-75 of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 (ITAA 1997) | A1: No.

Relevant facts and circumstances: A few years ago, your client migrated to Australia and became a permanent resident of Australia for tax purposes. Your client was a member of a pension fund in the overseas country. You have advised the value of your client's benefits in overseas pension fund on the day before your client became a resident of Australia. During the 2011-12 income year, and more than six months after becoming a permanent resident of Australia, your client's benefits were transferred from the overseas fund to a complying superannuation fund in Australia. Your client no longer has an interest in the overseas pension fund. Since your client migrated to Australia there have been no contributions to these pension funds. Funds cannot be accessed from these pension funds other than at retirement.

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 Subsection 306-70 | 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 transferred from foreign superannuation funds: 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). The remainder of the lump sum payment is not assessable income and is not exempt income. 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. 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. 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: 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. Under the definition of Australian superannuation fund in subsection 295-95(2) of the ITAA 1997 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 same meaning given by section 10 of the Superannuation Industry (Supervision) Act 1993 (SIS Act), which requires that the fund is a provident, benefit, superannuation or retirement fund. | Detailed Reasoning - Provident, benefit, superannuation or retirement fund: 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'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 where the events occur: · on or after retirement from gainful employment; or · attaining a prescribed age; and · on the members' death (this may require the benefits being passed on to a member's dependants or legal representative). 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 the SIS Regulations) as providing guidance as to what 'benefit' and '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, in order for the lump sum payment from the overseas fund to be considered a payment from a foreign superannuation fund as defined in subsection 995-1(1) of the ITAA 1997, it must also satisfy the requirements set out in subsection 295-95(2) of the ITAA 1997. This means that it should not be an Australian superannuation fund as defined in that subsection but must be a provident, benefit, superannuation or retirement fund as discussed above. The documentation provided in relation to the terms and conditions of the overseas fund indicate benefits are only paid on retirement and the fund would meet the definition of superannuation fund. In addition, it is clear the payer of the lump sum payment is established outside of Australia with its 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: Your client became a resident of Australia for tax purposes a few years ago and the payment was transferred from the overseas pension fund in the overseas country during the 2011-12 income year. As this was more than six months after your client became an Australian resident, section 305-70 applies to include the 'applicable fund earnings' in your client's assessable income. 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. 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). In short, your client is assessed only on the income earned (the accretion) in respect of the overseas pension fund less any contributions your client made since she became a resident of Australia. Further, any amounts representative of earnings during the 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: 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. The table in subsection 960-50(6) of the ITAA 1997 sets out the translation rules. Only the following items are relevant to determining the issue in your case: · item 11 which deals with a receipt or payment to which none of the other items apply, and · item 11A which applies to amounts that are neither receipts nor payments and to which none of the other items apply. Item 11 of the table in subsection 960-50(6) of the ITAA 1997 applies to a receipt or payment where none of the other items applies. The payment your client finally received is not included in any of the other items in the table so it will fall within item 11. Under this item, the payment is translated into Australian dollars at the exchange rate applicable at the time of receipt. The amount in the foreign fund that was vested in your client just before they became a resident of Australia (subparagraph 305-75(3)(a)(i) of the ITAA 1997) is determined, expressed in the foreign currency. Regulation 960-50.01 of the Income Tax Assessment Regulations 1997 (ITAR) modifies the table in subsection 960-50(6) of the ITAA 1997 to include item 11A that applies to amounts other than receipts and payments, and for which none of the other items apply. Consequently the vested amount is translated into Australian dollars at an exchange rate that is reasonable having regard to the circumstances. Therefore, for the purposes of section 305-70 of the ITAA 1997, the 'applicable fund earnings' should be calculated by translating the amount received from the foreign fund at the exchange rate applicable on the day of receipt of Australian dollars and deducting from this amount the Australian dollar equivalent of the amount vested in the fund at the exchange rate applicable just before the day your client first became an Australian resident. | Detailed Reasoning - Amounts to be used in calculation: The value of your client's benefits in the overseas pension fund on the day before your client became a resident of Australia are converted into Australian dollars at the exchange rate that applied on that day. From the facts provided, no contributions have been made to the overseas pension funds in the overseas country since your client migrated to Australia. There have been no transfers into the overseas pension funds in the overseas country from other foreign pension schemes by your client since becoming a resident of Australia. Your client's benefits were paid from the overseas pension fund to your client in the form of a lump sum payment which was transferred directly into a complying Australian superannuation fund. Therefore, these are the amounts vested for your client when the lump sum was paid. These amounts are converted into Australian dollars at the exchange rate applied on that day. '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. There are no previously exempt fund earnings in relation to the lump sum. 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 payments received, converted to Australian dollars. 305-75(3)(c) 1 305-75(3)(d) Nil 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. 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). As the result is less than zero, no amount of the lump sum payment from the overseas fund will be included as assessable 'applicable fund earnings'. | Detailed Reasoning - Conclusion:: As the result is less than zero, no amount of the lump sum payments received will be included as assessable 'applicable fund earnings' in your client's tax return for the 2011-12 income year.