House of Representatives

A New Tax System (Family Assistance and Related Measures) Bill 2000

Explanatory Memorandum

(Circulated by authority of the Minister for Family and Community Services, Senator the Hon. Jocelyn Newman)

This memorandum takes account of a correction made to the memorandum as tabled in the House of Representatives.

A New Tax System (Family Assistance and Related Measures) Bill 2000

Clause 1 sets out how the Act is to be cited, that is, as the A New Tax System (Family Assistance and Related Measures) Act 2000 .

Clause 2 provides for the commencement of the various schedules in the Act.

As a general rule, amendments to the A New Tax System (Family Assistance) Act 1999 are expressed to commence immediately after the substantive provisions in that Act. Similarly, amendments to the A New Tax System (Family Assistance) (Administration) Act 1999 are expressed to commence immediately after the substantive provisions in that Act.

However, where an amendment builds on, amends or further refines a provision that is amended by another Act that is part of the Government's tax package, then the amendment is expressed to commence after the commencement of the relevant provision or provisions in that other Act. For example, subsection 2(6) provides for the commencement of those items in Schedule 3 to this Bill that increase certain social security payments by 4% to compensate for the effects of the goods and services tax. While these items amend the Social Security Act 1991 , they rely on the commencement of the related amendments to the Social Security Act made by the A New Tax System (Compensation Measures Legislation Amendment) Act 1999 in order to be effective.

Clause 3 provides that each Act that is specified in a Schedule is amended or repealed as set out in that Schedule.

In this explanatory memorandum, the following abbreviations are used:

A New Tax System (Family Assistance) Act 1999 is referred to as the Family Assistance Act;
A New Tax System (Family Assistance) (Administration) Act 1999 is referred to as the FA Admin Act;
Social Security Act 1991 is referred to as the Social Security Act;
family tax benefit is referred to as FTB; and
child care benefit is referred to as CCB.


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