Disclaimer
This edited version has been archived due to the length of time since original publication. It should not be regarded as indicative of the ATO's current views. The law may have changed since original publication, and views in the edited version may also be affected by subsequent precedents and new approaches to the application of the law.

You cannot rely on this record in your tax affairs. It is not binding and provides you with no protection (including from any underpaid tax, penalty or interest). In addition, this record is not an authority for the purposes of establishing a reasonably arguable position for you to apply to your own circumstances. For more information on the status of edited versions of private advice and reasons we publish them, see PS LA 2008/4.

Edited version of your written advice

Authorisation Number: 1012775743518

Ruling

Subject: GST and classification of ready to eat food product

Question 1

Is your supply of the Ready to Eat food product (food product) GST-free?

Answer

No.

Relevant facts and circumstances

• You are registered for goods and services tax (GST)

• You are a retailer.

• You supply a food product.

• The food product is food for human consumption.

• The food product is sold in a clear plastic retail pot from the refrigerated dairy section.

• The food product comes in different flavours.

• The label on the packaging lists the ingredients.

• The cooking instructions on the label state:

• The label states to keep refrigerated at or below 4 degrees Celsius.

• The product size stated on the packaging is 255 ml.

• The details on the packaging states that it is ready to eat.

• You are not aware of any similar products in the market.

Relevant legislative provisions

All references are to the A New Tax System (Goods and Services Tax) Act 1999 (GST Act):

Section 9-5

Section 38-2

Section 38-3

Section 38-4

Reasons for decision

Summary

Your supply of the food product is not GST-free as it is excluded from being GST-free under paragraph 38-3(1)(c) of the A New Tax System (Goods and Services Tax) Act 1999 (GST Act). The food product is excluded under item 4 of Schedule 1 to the GST Act as a prepared meal.

Detailed reasoning

GST is payable by you on your taxable supplies.

You make a taxable supply where you satisfy the requirements of section 9-5 of the GST Act:

In your case, you will satisfy the requirements of paragraphs 9-5(a) to 9-5(d) of the GST Act. That is, you will supply the food product for consideration and in the course or furtherance of an enterprise that you carry on. Additionally, the supply will be connected with Australia and you are registered for GST.

There are no provisions in the GST Act under which your sales of the food product will be input taxed supplies.

Therefore, what remains to be determined is whether your sales of the food product will be a GST-free supply.

A supply of food is GST-free under section 38-2 of the GST Act if the product satisfies the definition of food in section 38-4 and the supply is not excluded from being GST-free by section 38-3.

Food is defined in section 38-4 of the GST Act to include food for human consumption (paragraph 38-4(1)(a)).

The food product satisfies the definition of food because it is sold as food for human consumption. Therefore the food product will be GST-free unless it falls within any of the exclusions in section 38-3 of the GST Act. Of relevance to your circumstances is the exception under paragraph 38-3(1)(c).

Paragraph 38-3(1)(c) of the GST Act provides that a supply of food is not GST-free if it is food of a kind that is specified in the table in clause 1 of Schedule 1 to the GST Act (Schedule 1).

Schedule 1

We will now also consider Schedule 1 for the food product. It is only necessary to consider Item 4 of Schedule1, this item covering prepared meals. Item 4 excludes prepared meals and food marketed as prepared meals, but not including soup from GST-free status.

When considering food under Item 4 we need to also consider conditions outlined in clauses 2 and 3 of Schedule 1 of the GST Act. Clause 2 of Schedule 1 provides when considering prepared food under items 1 to 7, it does not matter whether the food is sold hot, cold or frozen or require cooking, heating, thawing or chilling prior to consumption. Clause 3 of Schedule 1 provides that Item 4 only applies to food that requires refrigeration or freezing for its storage.

Prepared Meals

The Further Supplementary Explanatory Memorandum to the A New Tax System (Goods and Services Tax) Bill 1998 (the EM) provides that the term 'prepared meal' is intended to cover a range of food products that:

Included in this category (according to the EM at paragraph 1.33) are things such as:

All of the above meals, except for the sushi, are of a kind that are duly assembled, cooked or partly cooked and require heating and completion of the cooking process for them to be ready for consumption

Therefore, for food to be regarded as a 'prepared meal' in accordance with Item 4, the food needs to be supplied assembled and dressed (if applicable). In addition, if the food is cooked or partly cooked and is to be served hot, it should only need heating, which may include completion of the cooking process, to be ready for consumption. Heating will be interpreted to mean warmed in the microwave oven, convection oven, frying pan, wok or saucepan.

Paragraph 1.34 of the EM provides examples of food items that are not considered to be prepared meals:

In determining whether food is marketed as a 'prepared meal' the activities of the supplier are relevant. Consideration is given to the following:

The term 'prepared meal' referred to in Item 4 is not defined in the GST Act and therefore takes its ordinary meaning.

'Meal' is defined in The Macquarie Concise Dictionary, 2001, revised 3rd edition Macquarie Library Pty Ltd NSW (Macquarie Dictionary) as:

This definition could be applied to a single food item or to a meal consisting of several food items.

The Macquarie Dictionary defines 'prepare' in relation to food as 'to get ready for eating, as a meal, by due assembling, dressing or cooking'.

In order to determine whether the food product you supply is a prepared meal, it is necessary to refer to the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) view concerning prepared meals.

The ATO view on prepared food is provided in "Issue 5 Prepared food" in the Food Industry Partnership Goods and Services Tax Industry Issues and the Detailed food list (available from the ATO website www.ato.gov.au), a public ruling for the purposes of the Taxation Administration Act 1953.

The packaging on the food product states that it needs to be kept refrigerated at or below 4 degrees Celsius and you display the product in the refrigerated dairy cabinet. Therefore the food product satisfies Clause 3 of Schedule 1 as the food product requires refrigeration or freezing for its storage.

The food product consists of the water, low-fat milk, oats, salt, sugar and any flavouring. The cooking instructions on the packaging state to heat in the microwave on high for sixty seconds, stir and heat for a further sixty seconds. The food product is therefore duly assembled and just requires heating to complete ready for consumption. The food product is marketed as a 'ready to eat food product' with the only preparation required is to heat, stir, stand and eat. Therefore clause 2 of Schedule 1 is also satisfied.

The food product is ready to eat. This food product can be differentiated to other similar food products that require the consumer to add milk or water before heating and assembling ready to eat.

The cooking instructions on the packaging indicate that the product can be cooked in its container via microwave and be eaten from the container (a heat and serve container).

The food product is also similar to breakfast products that could be purchased from take-away and cafes.

After considering all of the above factors it is concluded that the food product is a prepared meal under item 4 and is not a supply of food that is GST-free, as it is excluded from being GST-free under paragraph 38-3(1)(c) of the GST Act. Therefore the supply of the food product is subject to GST.


Copyright notice

© Australian Taxation Office for the Commonwealth of Australia

You are free to copy, adapt, modify, transmit and distribute material on this website as you wish (but not in any way that suggests the ATO or the Commonwealth endorses you or any of your services or products).