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Edited version of your written advice

Authorisation Number: 1051436524867

Date of advice: 5 October 2018

Ruling

Subject: GST and GST classification of food

Question

Is the supply of the following Products GST-free?

Answer

Yes.

Relevant facts and circumstances

The Products are “cold water infusion”, they are infused in water in a similar manner to how tea bags infuse in water; that is, by placing the Products or tea bag in water, where the contents are soaked to enable the flavour to be extracted/released. You supply the Products in dry loose form.

The Products do not contain tea, tea leaves or tea extract. Rather, the Products contain herbal ingredients and natural flavourings.

The Products will be advertised and sold alongside tea, coffee and other similar items in stores.

Relevant legislative provisions

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

Section 38-2.

Section 38-3.

Paragraph 38-3(1)(d).

Section 38-4.

Paragraph 38-4(1)(c).

Paragraph 38-4(1)(d).

Schedule 2.

Reasons for decision

Summary

Your supply of the Products is not a taxable supply. It is a GST-free supply because the Products are of a kind covered under Item 5 in the third column of the table in clause 1 of Schedule 2 of the A New Tax System (Goods and Services Tax) Act 1999 (GST Act).

Detailed reasoning

A supply of food as defined in subsection 38-4(1) of the GST Act is GST-free under section 38-2 of the GST Act unless an exclusion in subsection 38-3(1) of the GST Act applies.

In accordance with paragraph 38-4(1)(c) of the GST Act, food includes beverages for human consumption.

Paragraph 38-3(1)(d) of the GST Act excludes beverages from being GST-free under section 38-2 of the GST Act unless they are beverages of a kind specified in the third column of the table in clause 1 of Schedule 2 to the GST Act (Schedule 2).

Item 5 in the third column of the table in clause 1 of Schedule 2 of the GST Act (item 5) includes tea (including herbal tea, fruit tea, ginseng tea and other similar beverage preparations).

Clause 2 of Schedule 2 states that none of the items in the table relating to the category of tea, coffee, etc include any beverage that is marketed in a ready-to-drink form.

You supply the Products in dry loose form. They are not marketed in a ready-to-drink form.

Issue 25 of the Food Industry Partnership – issues register (issue 25) discusses what is considered to be a 'tea' for the purposes of item 5 of Schedule 2 of the GST Act on this page:

https://www.ato.gov.au/Business/GST/In-detail/GST-issues-registers/Food-Industry-Partnership---issues-register/?page=24

Essential character test:

The Products are sold in dry loose form, contained in little bags, similar to tea bags. The Products are infused in water in a similar manner to how tea bags infuse in water; that is, by placing the Products or tea bag in water, where the contents are soaked to enable the flavour to be extracted/released.

The ingredients contain the leaves, flowers, etc., of plants and fruit flavouring.

The Products will be advertised and sold alongside tea, coffee and other similar items in stores.. The marketing promotes the Products as being infused to add flavour to cold water to encourage consumers to stay hydrated.

From the above, the Products are used to infuse cold water to provide flavours, and the resulting herbal beverage is a beverage that is primarily consumed for the purposes of increasing bodily liquid levels, to quench thirst and to give pleasure. The herbal beverage is a beverage preparation similar to herbal tea and fruit tea.

In summary, the Products are of a kind covered under Item 5, which includes tea (including herbal tea, fruit tea, ginseng tea and other similar beverage preparations). In addition the products are not beverages that are in a ready to drink form.

Therefore, the exclusion at paragraph 38-3(1)(d) of the GST Act does not apply. None of the other exclusions in subsection 38-3(1) of the GST Act applies. Hence, your supply of the Products is not a taxable supply and GST is not payable. The supply of the Products is GST-free under section 38-2 of the GST Act.


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