House debates

Wednesday, 12 May 2010

Tax Laws Amendment (2010 Measures No. 1) Bill 2010

Consideration of Senate Message

Bill returned from the Senate with amendments.

Ordered that the amendments be considered immediately.

Senate’s amendments—

(1)    Schedule 3, item 4, page 13 (line 23) to page 16 (line 17), omit sections 275-5 and 275-10.

(2)    Schedule 3, item 4, page 16 (lines 24 to 26), omit paragraph 275-15(1)(b), substitute:

             (b)    every *member of the trust is a managed investment trust in relation to the income year (or a trust that is treated in the same way as a managed investment trust in relation to the income year through the operation of this Subdivision).

(3)    Schedule 3, item 4, page 17 (lines 6 to 13), omit paragraphs 275-20(b) and (c), substitute:

             (b)    the trust would be a managed investment trust in relation to the income year (or a trust that would be treated in the same way as a managed investment trust in relation to the income year through the operation of this Subdivision) if the trustee of the trust had made the first fund payment in relation to the income year on the first day of the income year; and

             (c)    the trust would be a managed investment trust in relation to the income year (or a trust that would be treated in the same way as a managed investment trust in relation to the income year through the operation of this Subdivision) if the trustee of the trust had made the first fund payment in relation to the income year on the last day of the income year.

(4)    Schedule 3, item 4, page 17 (lines 14 to 26), omit section 275-25.

(5)    Schedule 3, item 4, page 21 (lines 32 and 33), omit “year of income”, substitute “income year”.

(6)    Schedule 3, item 4, page 22 (line 1), after “Division 6C”, insert “of Part III”.

(7)    Schedule 3, item 4, page 22 (line 2), omit “year of income”, substitute “income year”.

(8)    Schedule 5, page 37 (after line 11), after item 3, insert:

3A Subsection 701-58(2)

After “(5A)”, insert “, (5C)”.

3B At the end of Division 701

Add:

701-90 Valuable right to future income treated as separate asset

        (1)    This subsection covers a valuable right (including a contingent right) to receive an amount for the performance of work or services or the provision of goods (other than *trading stock) if:

             (a)    the valuable right forms part of a contract or agreement; and

             (b)    the *market value of the valuable right (taking into account all the obligations and conditions relating to the right) is greater than nil.

        (2)    For the purposes of this Part, treat a valuable right covered by subsection (1) as a separate asset.

        (3)    For the purposes of this Part, if:

             (a)    a valuable right is treated as a separate asset under subsection (2); and

             (b)    the contract or agreement mentioned in paragraph (1)(a) also includes one or more other rights;

for the purposes of this Part, treat the contract or agreement (excluding the valuable right) as a separate asset.

        (4)    For the purposes of this Part:

             (a)    take into account all the obligations and conditions relating to a valuable right treated as a separate asset under subsection (2) in working out the *market value of that separate asset; and

             (b)    if a contract or agreement (excluding the valuable right) is treated as a separate asset under subsection (3)—take into account all the obligations and conditions relating to each right (other than the valuable right) that forms part of the contract or agreement in working out the market value of that separate asset.

(9)    Schedule 5, item 4, page 39 (lines 4 to 7), omit paragraph 716-405(2)(a), substitute:

             (a)    unless paragraph (b) applies—the amount determined under subsection (3A); or

(10)  Schedule 5, item 4, page 39 (after line 22), after subsection 716-405(3), insert:

     (3A)    For the purposes of paragraph (2)(a), the amount is the lesser of the following:

             (a)    the *unexpended tax cost setting amount for the asset for that income year;

             (b)    the unexpended tax cost setting amount for the asset for the first income year ending after the joining time, divided by the lesser of:

                   (i)    10; or

                  (ii)    if the contract or agreement giving rise to the valuable right mentioned in paragraph 716-410(a) is for a specified period—the number of days in that period that end after the joining time, divided by 365 and rounded upwards to the nearest whole number.

(11)  Schedule 5, item 4, page 40 (lines 23 and 24), omit paragraph 716-410(a), substitute:

             (a)    the asset is a valuable right covered by subsection 701-90(1); and

Note:       Such a valuable right is treated as a separate asset for the purposes of this Part (see subsection 701-90(2)).

(12)  Schedule 5, item 4, page 40 (lines 28 to 30), omit paragraph 716-410(c), substitute:

             (c)    it is reasonable to expect that an amount attributable to the asset will be included in the assessable income of the entity or any other entity after the joining time; and

             (d)    Division 230 does not apply in relation to the asset (disregarding section 230-455).

(13)  Schedule 5, item 8, page 43 (lines 12 to 14), omit paragraph (4)(a), substitute:

             (a)    on or before 30 June 2011; or

(14)  Schedule 5, item 84, page 66 (lines 2 and 3), omit “leaving entity” (wherever occurring), substitute “partnership”.

(15)  Schedule 5, page 86 (after line 18), after item 146, insert:

146A Section 715-230 (note 1)

Omit “a direct or indirect interest in a subsidiary member”, substitute “certain kinds of interests in a member”.

(16)  Schedule 5, page 86 (after line 28), after item 148, insert:

148A After section 715-260

Insert:

715-265 Head company does not have relevant equity or debt interest in a loss company if widely held top company does not have such an interest

        (1)    For the purposes of Subdivision 165-CD, treat the *head company of a *consolidated group as not having a relevant equity interest in a *loss company at a particular time if:

             (a)    the head company is an *eligible tier-1 company of a *top company at that time; and

             (b)    the top company is a *widely held company at that time; and

             (c)    because of subsections 165-115X(2A), (2B) and (2C), the top company does not have a relevant equity interest under section 165-115X in the loss company at that time.

        (2)    For the purposes of paragraph (1)(c), disregard the operation of subsection 701-1(1) (the single entity rule) in determining whether subsection 165-115X(2C) has the effect that the *top company has the relevant equity interest mentioned in that paragraph.

        (3)    For the purposes of Subdivision 165-CD, treat the *head company of a *consolidated group as not having a relevant debt interest in a *loss company at a particular time if:

             (a)    the head company is an *eligible tier-1 company of a *top company at that time; and

             (b)    the top company is a *widely held company at that time; and

             (c)    because of subsections 165-115Y(3A), (3B) and (3C), the top company does not have a relevant debt interest under section 165-115Y in the loss company at that time.

(17)  Schedule 5, page 87 (after line 11), after item 150, insert:

150A Section 715-450 (note)

Omit “a direct or indirect interest in a subsidiary member”, substitute “certain kinds of interests in a member”.

150B  Subdivision 715-H (heading)

Repeal the heading, substitute:

Subdivision 715-H—Cancelling loss on realisation event for direct or indirect interest in a member of a consolidated group

150C Paragraph 715-610(2)(d)

Omit “a consolidated group.”, substitute “a consolidated group; or”.

150D At the end of subsection 715-610(2)

Add:

             (e)    all of these conditions are satisfied at that time:

                   (i)    the realised interest was an equity or loan interest, an *indirect equity or loan interest or an external indirect equity or loan interest, in the *head company of a consolidated group;

                  (ii)    the owner was not a member of the group;

                 (iii)    the head company was an *eligible tier-1 company of a *top company.

150E Subsection 715-610(3)

Omit “a *subsidiary member”, substitute “a member”.

150F Subsection 715-610(3)

Omit “the subsidiary member” (wherever occurring), substitute “the member”.

(18)  Schedule 5, item 193, page 102 (lines 20 and 21), omit the item, substitute:

193 Application provision

(1)    The amendments made by this Part apply in relation to a consolidated group or MEC group on or after:

             (a)    if the head company of the consolidated group (or the head company or provisional head company of the MEC group) makes a choice in accordance with subitems (2) and (3)—10 February 2010; or

             (b)    otherwise—1 July 2002.

(2)    A choice mentioned in paragraph (1)(a) must be made:

             (a)    on or before 30 June 2014; or

             (b)    within a further time allowed by the Commissioner.

(3)    A choice mentioned in paragraph (1)(a) must be made in writing.

4:57 pm

Photo of Craig EmersonCraig Emerson (Rankin, Australian Labor Party, Minister Assisting the Finance Minister on Deregulation) Share this | | Hansard source

I move:

That the amendments be agreed  to.

Amendments (1) to (7) amend schedule 3 of the bill. Broadly, schedule 3 amends the tax law to allow eligible Australian managed investment trusts to make an irrevocable choice to apply the capital gains tax provisions as the primary code for the taxation of gains and losses on disposal of certain assets, primarily shares, units and rural property. Following the introduction of the Tax Laws Amendment (2010 Measures No. 1) Bill 2010 into parliament, the government announced changes to the general withholding tax definition of managed investment trusts to align it more closely with the capital account definition in this bill. The government will not, however, proceed with certain provisions in schedule 3 that would have expanded the meaning of managed investment trusts for capital account purposes. The government is undertaking further consultation with key stakeholders to ensure that the aligned definition is better targeted to achieve its policy objectives in relation to both the withholding tax and the capital account measures. The proposed changes to align the definitions of managed investment trusts more closely will be introduced into parliament at a later date.

Amendments (2), (3), (5), (6) and (7) make some minor technical corrections to schedule (3) and amendments (8) to (18) amend various parts of schedule 5 to the bill. That schedule amends the consolidation regime. These amendments address several issues that have arisen since the bill was introduced into parliament. Amendments (8) to (12) modify part 1 of schedule 5 to clarify the treatment of the tax costs, setting the amount allocated to assets that are rights to future income. Amendments (15) to (17) modify part 16 of schedule 5, which makes it easier for widely held companies to satisfy the loss multiplication rules so that the amendments apply appropriately to foreign owned consolidated groups. Amendment (18) modifies part 18 of schedule 5, which relates to consolidation choices to overcome concerns that the amendments could have an adverse retrospective impact on taxpayers in some very limited circumstances. Finally, amendments (13) and (14) make some technical corrections to the bill.

Question agreed to.