Private ruling: Lump Sum Transfer from a Foreign Superannuation Fund
Date of advice: 13 March 2018
Published: June 2018
Ruling period: Income year ended 30 June 2018.
Date scheme commenced: 1 July 2017.

Ruling: Q1: Is any part of a lump payment received from a foreign fund assessable as applicable fund earnings as worked out under section 305-75 of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 (ITAA 1997)? | A1: No. | Q2: Will any part of the lump sum payment received from a foreign fund to be included in your assessable income under sections 97 and 99B of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1936 (ITAA 1936)? | A2: Yes.

Relevant facts and circumstances: The Taxpayer became an Australian resident for tax purposes in 2009. In 2017, the Taxpayer ceased employment with a foreign employer. In, as a result of ceasing employment, he received a lump sum payment from a superannuation fund in an overseas country (the foreign fund), directly into his Australian bank account. The Taxpayer has indicated the value of the foreign fund as at the residency date. The document provided (the brochure) provides the conditions of early withdrawal from the foreign fund. Pages 14 and 15 provide that a person may withdraw their benefits when leaving the foreign country for a non-EU/EFTA country, on becoming self-employed, or for the purpose of financing owner-occupied property up to three years before retirement. Under the heading ‘ Early withdrawal,’ the brochure states: Early withdrawal Up to age 50, an insured person can withdraw an amount equalling the current amount of vested benefits… The Taxpayer had made non deducted contributions to the foreign fund. Some of these contributions were made after the Taxpayer became an Australian resident.

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 305-80(1) | Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 Subsection 305-80(2) | 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) | Superannuation Industry (Supervision) Act 1993 Section 10 | Superannuation Industry (Supervision) Act 1993 Section 19 | Superannuation Industry (Supervision) Act 1993 Section 62

Reasons for decision: Summary: A lump sum payment from a foreign fund can be made to an individual or to your complying Australian superannuation fund. In this instance the lump sum payment from the foreign fund will not be considered a payment from a ‘foreign superannuation fund’, therefore, subdivision 305-B of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 (ITAA 1997) has no application in this case. | 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 applicable fund earnings are 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 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 was not an Australian resident at all times during the period to which the lump sum relates. An amount is only assessable under section 305-70 of the ITAA 1997 if the entity making the payment is a foreign superannuation fund. | 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. 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 (SISA). In accordance with subsection 10(1) of the SISA, 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. 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. Unless approved by the regulator, section 62 of the SISA states, a regulated superannuation fund must be ‘maintained solely’ for the ‘core 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). The regulator for Australian regulated superannuation funds are either the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority, or the Commissioner of Taxation. 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. Information available indicates that part of the benefits in the foreign fund can be accessed before reaching the standard retirement age. Benefits in the foreign fund may also be accessed for reasons such as: ● Leaving the foreign country permanently for a non-EU/EFTA country ● Becoming self-employed ● Financing owner-occupied property up to three years before retirement. As the benefits in the foreign fund can be accessed for pre-retirement purposes, the foreign fund does not meet the 'sole purpose test' and therefore cannot be considered a 'superannuation fund' for Australian income tax purposes. Therefore, on the basis of the information provided, the Commissioner considers that the lump sum payments from the foreign fund will not be received from a ‘foreign superannuation fund’ as defined in subsection 995-1(1) of the ITAA 1997. Consequently, Subdivision 305-B of the ITAA 1997 does not apply to the lump sum payment that you will receive from the foreign fund. | Detailed Reasoning - Assessable income: The assessable income of a resident taxpayer includes ordinary income and statutory income derived directly or indirectly from all sources, in or out of Australia, during the income year (subsection 6-5(2) and subsection 6-10(4) of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 (ITAA 1997)). The taxpayers withdrawal from the foreign fund would not be ordinary income (subsection 6-5(2) of the ITAA 1997). ‘Statutory income’ is not ordinary income but is included in assessable income by a specific provision in the tax legislation (subsection 6-10(2) of the ITAA 1997). Section 10-5 of the ITAA 1997 lists those provisions about statutory income. Included in this list is section 99B of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1936 (ITAA 1936) which deals with receipt of trust income not previously subject to tax. 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, that 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). In the taxpayers case, as withdrawn amounts are similar to a distribution from a trust, any amounts distributed (withdrawn) or credited from the foreign fund are assessable under subsection 99B(1) of the ITAA 1936. Any distribution from the foreign fund is assessable in the taxpayers hands subject to the exclusions under subsection 99B(2) of the ITAA 1936.