House debates
Monday, 23 June 2008
Tax Laws Amendment (2008 Measures No. 2) Bill 2008
Consideration of Senate Message
Consideration resumed from 18 June.
Senate’s amendments—
(1) Clause 2, page 2 (table item 7), omit “9 to 11”, substitute “9 to 13”.
(2) Page 38 (after line 20), at the end of the bill, add:
Schedule 12—Austudy rent assistance
Income Tax Assessment Act 1997
1 Section 52-15 (cell at table item 4, column headed “the supplementary amount is the total of:”)
Repeal the cell, substitute:
(a) so much of the payment as is included by way of rental assistance; and (b) so much of the payment as is included by way of remote area allowance; and (c) so much of the payment as is included by way of pharmaceutical allowance |
2 Application
The amendment made by this Schedule applies to assessments for the 2007-08 income year and later income years.
(3) Page 38 (after line 20), at the end of the bill, add:
Schedule 13—Carer adjustment payments
Income Tax Assessment Act 1997
1 Section 11-15 (table item headed “social security or like payments”)
After:
ABSTUDY scheme, payment under... | Subdivision 52-E |
insert:
carer adjustment payment.............. | 53-10 |
2 Section 53-10 (table item 1)
Repeal the item, substitute:
1 | Carer adjustment payment | The power of the Commonwealth to make ex-gratia payments | None |
2 | Disability services payment | Part III of the Disability Services Act 1986 | None |
3 Application
The amendments made by this Schedule apply to assessments for the 2007-08 income year and later years.
12:24 pm
Chris Bowen (Prospect, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
I move:
That the amendments be agreed to.
The government agrees to the amendments made to the Tax Laws Amendment (2008 Measures No. 2) Bill 2008 by the Senate. These amendments add new schedules 12 and 13 to the bill. The new schedules are identical to schedules 3 and 4 which were removed from Tax Laws Amendment (2008 Measures No. 3) Bill 2008, as the opposition advised the government that it would be referring other measures in that bill to the Senate Standing Committee on Economics for inquiry. The amendments are necessary to ensure that these measures, which are of benefit to taxpayers, are passed before the end of the income year in order to remove doubt for taxpayers. Schedule 12 exempts from income tax the rent assistance paid to Austudy recipients, and schedule 13 exempts carer adjustment payments. Unless these amendments receive royal assent before 1 July 2008, payments made in the current income year will be included in the assessable income of recipients. Full details of the amendments are contained in the supplementary explanatory memorandum.
12:25 pm
Michael Keenan (Stirling, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
The opposition supports the Senate’s approach to the Tax Laws Amendment (2008 Measures No. 2) Bill 2008. They are essentially measures that we consider to be non-controversial and they were brought back to this House to be passed by the end of the financial year, as is appropriate. There have been some measures contained in tax bills that we believe should go through a fuller legislative process, and that is what we have moved to do in the Senate—although, as I said, the opposition support the approach that the Senate has taken on these particular amendments. We support them going through so that they can be enacted by the end of the financial year.
Question agreed to.