Note: A Commissioner ' s Remedial Power modification is relevant to this part of the tax law.

Taxation Administration (Remedial Power - Seasonal Labour Mobility Program) Determination 2020 (F2020L01474) modifies the operation of s 840-905(b)(ii) of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 (ITAA 1997) and s 12-319A(b)(ii) of Sch 1 to the Taxation Administration Act 1953 (TAA 1953) to include foreign resident employees of Approved Employers under the Seasonal Labour Mobility Program ( " employees under the Program " ) who previously held a Temporary Work (International Relations) Visa (subclass 403) and have extended their stay in Australia using a different temporary visa (including a bridging visa) granted under the Migration Act 1958 .

The operation of the relevant provisions is modified as follows:

For the purposes of s 370-5 in Sch 1 to TAA 1953, s 840-905(b)(ii) of ITAA 1997 operates with the following modification:

· If you formerly held a Temporary Work (International Relations) Visa (subclass 403) and you hold a different temporary visa at a particular time, you are treated as if you hold a Temporary Work (International Relations) Visa (subclass 403) at that time.

For the purposes of s 370-5 in Sch 1 to TAA 1953, s 12-319A(b)(ii) of Sch 1 to TAA 1953 operates with the following modification:

· An employee, who formerly held a Temporary Work (International Relations) Visa (subclass 403) and who holds a different temporary visa at a particular time, is treated as if they hold a Temporary Work (International Relations) Visa (subclass 403) at that time.

The modification applies to salary, wages, commissions, bonuses or allowances paid on and after 24 March 2020. The modification ensures that employees under the Program continue to be taxed by application of a final withholding tax rate of 15%. It also ensures that this income is otherwise treated as non-assessable non-exempt income. As is currently the case for those holding a Temporary Work (International Relations) Visa (subclass 403), these employees under the Program will not have to lodge an income tax return unless they earn other Australian sourced income.

An entity must treat a modification as not applying to it or any other entity if the modification would produce a less favourable result for it. The Commissioner is empowered by s 370-5 of Sch 1 to TAA 1953 to make modifications, by legislative instrument, to ensure the law is administered to achieve its intended purpose or object.