Private ruling: The undeducted purchase price of your foreign pensions
Published: February 2014
Ruling period: 2009-10 financial year | 2010-11 financial year | 2011-12 financial year | 2012-13 financial year | The schemes commenced | On or after 1 July 1983

Ruling: Q1: Are you entitled to a deductible amount in respect of the undeducted purchase price (UPP) of your foreign pensions? Ruling Yes, your annual deductible amount is calculated in accordance with section 27H of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1936 (ITAA 1936). This ruling is binding on the Commissioner for the period outlined in the ruling. You may rely on this ruling for future years where the facts, as stated in the ruling do not change, but the Commissioner will not be bound to the ruling. This means that if your circumstances or the facts relied upon to make the ruling do change, you will be protected from penalties and interest, but liable for any shortfall tax that may apply.



Reasons for decision: Summary: Your annual deductible amount is calculated in accordance with section 27H of the ITAA 1936 and will apply for the 2009-10, 2010-11, 2011-12 and 2012-13 financial years. | Detailed Reasoning - Deductible amount: Section 27H of the ITAA 1936 operates to include in assessable income, the amount of any pension derived by a taxpayer during a year of income reduced by the annual deductible amount. The deductible amount is deemed to be a return of part of your contribution towards the purchase of the pension. The deductible amount is calculated based on the UPP of your pension. The UPP is the amount you contributed towards the purchase price of your pension for which you did not claim, and were not eligible to claim, a tax deduction in Australia. Contributions made by an employer or by another person under an agreement to which the employer was a party, cannot form part of the UPP of the pension. The definition of 'purchase price' is contained in subsection 27H(4) of the ITAA 1936. It states that purchase price includes the contributions made by a person to any foreign superannuation fund to obtain a pension and so much of contributions considered reasonable by the Commissioner as having been paid by a person to a foreign superannuation fund to obtain superannuation benefits including a pension. | Detailed Reasoning - How the annual deductible amount is calculated: Under subsection 27H(2) of the ITAA 1936, the annual deductible amount of a superannuation pension is ascertained in accordance with the formula: A (B - C) D A = is the relevant share of the pension payable to the taxpayer in relation to the year of income (if all of the pension is payable to the taxpayer, A = 1) B = is the amount of the UPP of the pension C = is the residual capital value, and D = is the relevant number in relation to the pension. There is no Taxation Ruling or Taxation Determination published which provides for an alternative calculation or Commissioner's discretion under section 27H(3) of the ITAA 1936. Under subsection 27H(4) of the ITAA 1936, when a pension is payable during the lifetime of a person, the 'life expectation factor' is to be used as the relevant number. Regulation 9 of the Income Tax Regulations 1936 states that for the purposes of the definition of life expectation factor in subsection 27H(4) of the ITAA 1936, the Australian Life Tables published by the Australian Government Actuary are to be used. The factors for determining the life expectancy are: 1. the date when the pension first became payable, 2. your age when the pension commenced, and 3. your spouse's age when the pension commenced. In Taxation Determination TD 2006/72 Income tax: does the relevant number determined for the purposes of working out the deductible amount of a superannuation pension or annuity under subsection 27H(2) of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1936 take into account the life expectancy of a reversionary pensioner or annuitant?, the Commissioner states, in paragraph 1, that the relevant number used to calculate the deductible amount of a superannuation pension that is payable to a person (the original pensioner) for life and on the death of that person is payable to another person for their life (the reversionary pensioner) will be the greater of the life expectancies of the original and reversionary pensioners. The UPP of your pension paid from the fund has been determined by the Commissioner in accordance with the information contained in the payslips provided by you. By substituting the information into the formula, the annual deductible amount is obtained. | Detailed Reasoning - Converting foreign currency to Australian currency: For the 2003-04 and subsequent financial years, subsection 960-50(1) of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 (ITAA 1997) requires an amount in a foreign currency to be translated into Australian currency. Subsection 960-50(4) of the ITAA 1997 further requires any foreign currency elements in a calculation to be translated before the final amount is worked out. In accordance with the currency translation rules contained in section 960-50 of the ITAA 1997 and clarified in Taxation Determination TD 2006/54 Income tax: how does a taxpayer work out the amount to be included in assessable income under section 27H of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1936 for a superannuation pension or annuity that is payable in a foreign currency? , pensions received in foreign currency should be translated to Australian currency on the following basis: 1. if the amount is received at or before the time when it is derived - the amount is to be translated to Australian currency at the exchange rate applicable at the time of receipt; or 2. in any other case - the amount is to be translated to Australian currency at the exchange rate applicable when it is derived. As a general rule, the deductible amount is translated to Australian currency using the same exchange rate applying to the pension. Alternatively, regulation 960-50.01 of the Income Tax Assessment Regulations 1997 (ITAR 1997) and Schedule 2 to the ITAR 1997 allow pensions received in foreign currency and the deductible amount to be translated to Australian currency at the average exchange rate for the financial year. This is provided the conditions outlined in Schedule 2 to the ITAR are satisfied. Where the pension is received as a series of payments over the course of the financial year, and provided the average exchange rate is considered a reasonable approximation of the exchange rates, the conditions outlined in Schedule 2 to the ITAR 1997 will be satisfied. In your case, as your pension was paid on a regular quarterly basis (and then on a monthly basis from 20XX), you are entitled to use the average exchange rate to translate your pension income and the annual deductible amount of your UPP. The average exchange rates are available from our superannuation information line on 13 10 20 or visit our website at ato.gov.au/super | Detailed Reasoning - Other relevant comments: Please note that from 1 July 2007, the legislation changed in relation to superannuation pensions and benefits paid from complying superannuation funds. However, these changes do not affect any pensions paid from overseas funds which are not considered complying superannuation funds under section 42 of the Superannuation Industry (Supervision) Act 1993 as they are not resident funds. You will need to include your total foreign pension income in your income tax return and claim your annual deductible amount as advised by your private ruling above. | Detailed Reasoning - Important information to note: Income tax returns may be amended within two years from the date upon which the Commissioner gives notice of the assessment to the individual for assessments for the 2004-05 and later financial years. In regards to assessments that fall outside the two/four year period, you will need to lodge an objection request and a request for an extension of time to lodge an objection form.

Relevant facts: You receive pensions from a retirement fund established and managed outside Australia. | The international tax agreement between Australia and the country in which the retirement fund is established and managed provides that the pensions are taxable in Australia. | Your assessable income includes your pension income. | The pensions are all payable to you. | The pensions became payable on or after 1 July 1983. | The pensions are payable for life, and on your death revert to your spouse. | You have provided copies of your payslips from your former employer to assist the Commissioner in determining the amount of contributions towards both pension schemes. | The residual capital value of the pensions is nil. | Your pensions were initially paid on a quarterly basis and then on a monthly basis. | Assumptions: This ruling is given on the basis of the facts stated in the description of the scheme as set out above. Any material variation from these facts (including any matters not stated in the description above and any departure from these facts) will mean that the ruling will have no effect. Examples of such variations include but are not limited to commutation, divorce and re-marriage. No entity will then be able to rely on this ruling as the Commissioner will consider that the scheme has been implemented in a way that is materially different from the scheme described. | Relevant legislative and regulatory provisions: Income Tax Assessment Act 1936 Section 27H | Income Tax Assessment Act 1936 Subsection 27H(2) | Income Tax Assessment Act 1936 Subsection 27H(3) | Income Tax Assessment Act 1936 Subsection 27H(4) | Income Tax Regulations 1936 Regulation 9 | Income Tax Assessment Regulations 1997 Regulation 960-50.01