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Edited version of private advice

Authorisation Number: 10522414310872

Date of advice: 7 May 2024

Ruling

Subject: Employee share scheme

Question 1a

Will capital gains tax (CGT) event E5 of section 104-75 of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 (ITAA 1997) happen for the Trustee as trustee for the Company A Trust (Trust) at the time a Participant becomes absolutely entitled to the fully paid ordinary shares in Company A (Shares) under the Company A Plan A and Company A Plan B (Plans)?

Answer

Yes.

Question 1b

If CGT event E5 does happen, will a capital gain or loss made by the Trustee be disregarded under section 130-90 of the ITAA 1997 if the Participant acquires the Shares for the same or less than the cost base of the shares in the hands of the Trustee?

Answer

Yes.

This ruling applies for the following period:

Income tax years ending 30 June 20XX to 30 June 20XX

The scheme commenced on:

XX July 20XX

Relevant facts and circumstances

Background

Company A is an Australian public company.

Company A is the head company of the Company A income tax consolidated group (Company A TCG).

Company B is the head company of the Company B income tax consolidated group (Company B TCG) and Company A is Company B's parent company.

The Plans

Company A established Plan A and Plan B to provide eligible employees of the Company A Group holding senior executive roles with incentive to contribute to superior company performance for the benefit of all Company A shareholders (collectively, the Plans, or Plan Rules).

The Plans are administered by Company A's board of directors (the Board) or by any persons to whom the Board delegates any of its power of discretions to under the Plan Rules.

Where Participants are granted Incentive Rights under the Plans, subject to certain conditions being satisfied, this will entitle Participants to receive Shares in Company A.

Offer

In its discretion, the Board may, nominate any Employee for participation in the Plan and determine the number of Incentive Rights to be offered to the Employee, in the form of a:

An invitation to participate in the Plan (Invitation) may be made by the Board at any time, in any form, and on any conditions, or subject to any restrictions as the Board decides.

The Invitation must be in writing and include:

After the acceptance of an Invitation by the Participant, Company A must, subject to any conditions set out in the Invitation:

Where a Participant accepts an Invitation and is granted Incentive Rights, that Participant will be bound by the Plan Rules or the Global Plan Rules (as the case may be), and any terms, conditions and restrictions specified in the Invitation.

An Invitation is not transferable, and an Employee may only accept an offer of Incentive Rights in the Employee's name and not on behalf of any other person unless the Invitation provides that the offer may be renounced in favour of and accepted in the name of a Nominee who must be a related person.

A Participant may not:

Rights Attaching to Incentive Rights

The grant of an Incentive Right does not confer any right or interest, whether legal or equitable, in a Share until the Vesting Conditions in respect of such Incentive Right have been satisfied or waived by the Board at its discretion, so that the Incentive Right has vested.

Until such time the Vesting Conditions attached to an Incentive Right is satisfied or waived by the Board in its discretion, that Incentive Right is an Unvested Incentive Right.

Vesting Conditions

Vesting Conditions is the criteria determined by the Board for:

An Invitation must specify the Vesting Conditions applicable to a grant of Incentive Rights.

Subject to the Plan Rules, the Board may at any time by written notice to a Participant (Vesting Notice):

When an Incentive Right has vested, it becomes a Vested Incentive Right. As soon as possible after the date the Incentive Right has vested, the Board will give a Vesting Notice to the Participant which will contain details of the number of Vested Plan Shares that have vested. Those Vested Plan Shares will be allocated to the Participant in the Trust.

Dealing Restrictions

Where Vested Plan Shares are held in the Trust, or are subject to a holding lock, until the Trustee transfers Vested Plan Shares to a Participant or any holding lock ceases or is removed, the Participant may not:

Company A and the Trustee may implement any procedure they consider appropriate to restrict the Participant from disposing of any Vested Plan Shares that are subject to restrictions under the Plan Rules.

Subject to any Applicable Law and the Plan Rules, a Participant may request the Trustee to transfer a Vested Plan Share to the Participant on or at any time after the Vesting Date (Withdrawal Notice).

Upon receipt of a Withdrawal Notice, the Trustee will transfer Shares as requested, provided that it first receives confirmation from Company A that the Participant has complied with all relevant terms and conditions of issue and such transfer is permitted. Until any such transfer, the Trustee will retain possession of and remain registered as the holder of any Vested Plan Shares.

Lapse or Forfeiture

A Participant will automatically forfeit his or her interest in an Incentive Right if:

The Board may deem any Unvested Incentive Rights held by the Participant to have lapsed or any Vested Plan Shares already held by, or on behalf, of the Participant to be forfeited, if in the opinion of the Board, a Participant:

Where, in the opinion of the Board, a Participant's Incentive Rights vest (or may vest) as a result of fraud, dishonesty, breach of obligations or improper conduct of another employee of the Company A Group and, in the opinion of the Board, the Incentive Rights would not otherwise vest (or have vested), then the Board may determine that the Incentive Rights have not vested (or will not vest) and may determine:

The Trust

On XX March 20XX, Company A established the Trust under a deed entered between Company A and the Trustee.

The Trust Deed has been amended to align more closely with tax guidance issued by the Australian Taxation Office related to employee share trusts and schemes.

The Trustee is an independent third party.

The Trust Deed states that the objective and activities of the Trust are limited to managing the Plans, operating solely for the purpose of subscribing for, purchasing or otherwise acquiring, allocating, holding and delivering Shares under the Plan for the benefit of Eligible Employees.

Subject to the Trust Deed and in accordance with the objects of the Trust, the Trustee's powers include the ability to:

Funding

Company A and Company B make irretrievable cash contributions to the Trustee in relation to Australian employees of their respective tax consolidated groups, who participate in Company A's employee share plans.

Company A is responsible for the on-going and recurrent costs associated with administering the Trust, including:

Company A will pay to the Trustee from Company A's own resources such fees and reimburse such expenses incurred by the Trustee as Company A and the Trustee agree from time to time. The Trustee is entitled to retain for its own benefit any such fee or reimbursement. The Trustee is not entitled to receive from the Account any fees, commission, or other remuneration in respect of its office The Trustee is not entitled to receive from the Trust or any Participant any fees or other remuneration in respect of its office other than reasonable disbursements including brokerage and tax levied or incurred in connection with the Trust.

The Trustee must open and maintain an account in respect of a Participant which contains a written record of the Vested Plan Shares held by the Trustee on behalf of a Participant (Account).

Each Account must record the number, date of acquisition and price of Vested Plan Shares, and the number of bonuses issued to a Participant in respect of its Vested Plan Shares (Bonus Shares).

The Trust shall be administered in a way that satisfies the definition of 'employee share trust' for the purposes of subsection 130-85(4) of the ITAA 1997.

Neither the Trustee nor Company A may use as security Shares or Vested Plan Shares held by the Trustee.

Nothing in the Trust Deed confers or is intended to confer on Company A any charge, lien or any other proprietary or beneficial interest in the Shares acquired by the Trustee under the Trust Deed. Company A and all of the entities deemed to be controlled by Company A are prohibited from benefiting under the Trust Deed and are not eligible to acquire a beneficial interest in the Shares held by the Trust.

Acquisition and allocation of Shares

The Trustee may, upon direction by Company A, acquire Shares from time to time. These Shares may be held for the purpose of granting Vested Plan Shares to Participants from time to time, including at some future point in time and are to be funded prior to settlement of their acquisition either from the Fund or by a payment from Company A or Company B to the Trustee. All funds provided to the Trustee by Company A or Company B shall be irretrievable cash contributions to the Fund.

Shares subscribed for or acquired are to be registered in the name of the Trustee on subscription or acquisition and are considered to be Trust property to be held subject to the Trust Deed.

The Trustee must allocate Vested Plan Shares to the Account established for a Participant under the terms of the Plan Rules in accordance with written directions from Company A provided the Trustee holds sufficient Shares in the Fund or receives sufficient payment from Company A or Company B to acquire the relevant Shares:

Subject to Applicable Law, if the Trustee holds Vested Plan Shares on behalf of any Participant:

Subject to the Trust Deed, the Applicable Law and the Plan Rules:

Subject to the Trust Deed and the Plan Rules, a Participant is entitled to any Bonus Shares, being Shares which accrue in respect of their Vested Plan Shares held by the Trustee, and are issued to that Participant, as part of a bonus issue.

Bonus Shares must be held by the Trustee on the terms and conditions of the Trust Deed, on behalf of the relevant Participant, who will be the beneficial owner of the Bonus Shares.

Upon allotment to the Trustee, Bonus Shares:

Rights issues

Subject to the Plan Rules, the Trustee must notify a Participant in writing of any rights to acquire Shares or securities issued, or to be issued, by Company A (Share Rights) which accrue to their allocated Vested Plan Shares.

The Participant may provide the Trustee with written instructions to either:

If a Participant does not give written instructions under the Trust Deed, the Trustee is entitled to sell the Share Rights.

In accordance with the Trust Deed, regardless of whether instructed by the Participant or not, the Trustee:

If the Trustee acquires a specified number of securities pursuant to the Share Right on behalf of the Participant. The Trustee must transfer those securities to the Participant.

Where the Trustee holds Shares that are not Vested Plan Shares, the Trustee may at the price and otherwise on the terms determined by the Trustee:

The balance of the Net Income of the Trust for a Year of Income to which no Participant is presently entitled to may be accumulated by the Trustee as an Accretion to the Trust.

The Trustee must not vote in respect of any Shares which are not Vested Plan Shares.

Income and capital distributions

Subject to the Plan Rules, a Participant is presently entitled to so much of the Net Income of the Trust for a Year of Income which is attributable to:

The balance of the Net Income for a Year of Income to which no Participant is presently entitled may be applied, in whole or in part:

Subject to the Trust Deed and Plan Rules, the Trustee may apply any income received by the Trustee in relation to any:

Reasons for decision

Issue1: Income Tax

Question1a

Summary

CGT event E5 will happen to the Trustee in relation to Shares held by the Trustee under the Plans at a time when a Participant becomes absolutely entitled to those Shares under the terms of the Plans.

Detailed reasoning

Subsection 102-5(1) states that your assessable income includes your net capital gain (if any) for the income year. Under section 102-20, an entity can make a capital gain or loss if, and only if, a CGT event happens.

Participants become absolutely entitled to a Share under the Plans - CGT event E5

Under subsection 104-75(1), CGT event E5 happens if a beneficiary becomes absolutely entitled to a CGT asset of a trust (except a unit trust or a trust to which Division 128 applies) as against the trustee.

The time of the event is when a beneficiary becomes absolutely entitled to the asset (subsection 104-75(2)).

If CGT event E5 happens, the trustee may make a capital gain or loss if the market value of the asset, at the time of the event, is more than its cost base or less than the asset's reduced cost base respectively (subsection 104-75(3)).

In the present case, the Trust is neither a unit trust nor a deceased estate to which Division 128 applies.

Subsection 130-85(2) treats a beneficiary as absolutely entitled to the relevant share from the time of acquisition of the ESS interest until they no longer have an interest in the share. Subsection 130-85(2) only applies if the following requirements under subsection 130-85(1) are satisfied:

(a)  the beneficiary acquires an ESS interest under an employee share scheme

(b)  Subdivision 83A-B or 83A-C applies to the ESS interest, and

(c)   the ESS interest is, or arises because of, an interest the beneficiary holds in an employee share trust (EST)

Participants acquire ESS interests under the Plans which are employee share schemes (paragraph 130-85(1)(a))

An 'employee share scheme' is defined in subsection 83A-10(2) as a scheme under which 'ESS interests' in a company are provided to employees of the company, or a subsidiary of the company, in relation to the employees' employment.

Subsection 83A-10(1) defines an 'ESS interest', in a company, as a beneficial interest in a share in the company or a right to acquire a beneficial interest in a share in the company.

Paragraph 130-85(1)(a) is satisfied as:

•         the Participants to the Plans are beneficiaries of the Company A Trust which was established for the purpose of administering the Plans

•         the Participants are granted Incentive Rights under the Plans which provides them with a right to acquire Shares and therefore the Participants acquire 'ESS interests', as defined by subsection 83A-10(1))

•         the Plans each constitute a scheme under which Participants are granted Incentive Rights in relation to their employment that provides them with the right to acquire shares in Company A and therefore each constitute an 'employee share scheme' (as defined in subsection 83A-10(2)).

Subdivision 83A-B or 83A-C applies to the Incentive Rights (paragraph 130-85(1)(b))

Subsection 83A-20(1) is the key condition that an ESS interest must meet for Subdivision 83A-B or 83A-C to apply. Subsection 83A-20(1) states:

"This Subdivision applies to an ESS interest if you acquire the interest under an employee share scheme at a discount."

As Incentive Rights are granted to Participants of the Plans for no consideration, they are acquired by those Participants at a discount and Subdivision 83A-B would apply to those ESS interests (unless the conditions in subsection 83A-105(1) are satisfied, in which case Subdivision 83A-C would apply instead). Therefore, paragraph 130-85(1)(b) is satisfied.

The ESS interest arises because of an interest you hold in an employee share trust (paragraph 130-85(1)(c))

As outlined above, the Incentive Rights granted to Participants under the Plans constitute an ESS interest, as defined, as they provide Participants with an interest in the Shares held in the Trust.

Section 995-1 defines 'employee share trust' as having the meaning given by subsection 130-85(4).

Subsection 130-85(4) provides that an EST for an employee share scheme (having the meaning given by subsection 83A-10(2)) is a trust whose sole activities are:

(a)  obtaining shares or rights in a company; and

(b)  ensuring that ESS interests in the company that are beneficial interests in those shares or rights are provided under the employee share scheme to employees, or to associates of employees, of:

(i)            the company; or

(ii)           a subsidiary of the company; and

(c)   other activities that are merely incidental to the activities mentioned in paragraphs (a) and (b).

Paragraphs 130-85(4)(a) and (b) of the definition of an EST are satisfied because the Trustee:

Undertaking the activities mentioned in paragraphs 130-85(4)(a) and 130-85(4)(b) will also require that the Trustee undertake incidental activities that are a function of managing the Trust.

Paragraph 130-85(4)(c) provides that a trustee can engage in activities that are merely incidental to those described in paragraphs 130-85(4)(a) and (b).

The Commissioner's views on the types of activities that are merely incidental and not merely incidental are set out in Taxation Determination TD 2019/13: Income tax: what is an 'employee share trust'?

Whether the Trust is an employee share trust for the purposes of subsection 130-85(4) requires an analysis of what the Trustee actually does, not only the powers and duties that are prescribed in the Trust Deed.

Activities that result in employees being provided with additional benefits (such as the provision of financial assistance, including a loan to acquire the shares) are not considered to be merely incidental.

Based on the available facts, the Trust Deed contains powers and duties that are merely incidental to the functions of the Trustee as required by paragraph 130-85(4)(c).

Therefore, the Commissioner considers the Trust to be an EST based on the terms of the Trust Deed and paragraph 130-85(1)(c) is satisfied.

As all of the conditions in subsection 130-85(1) are satisfied, CGT event E5 is the CGT event that will apply under the terms of the Plans at the time that Participant becomes absolutely entitled to the Shares as against the Trustee.

Question1b

Summary

A capital gain or loss that arises to the Trustee at the time when CGT event E5 happens in relation to Shares held by the Trustee under the Plans will be disregarded under section 130-90 if the Participants acquire the Shares for the same or less than the cost base of the shares in the hands of the Trustee.

Detailed reasoning

Exemptions under section 130-90

Subject to subsection 130-90(2), any capital gain or capital loss that the Trustee makes, if CGT event E5 happens, is disregarded if subsection 130-90 applies.

Shares held to satisfy the future exercise of rights acquired under employee share schemes: subsection 130-90(1)

Subsection 130-90(1) applies to disregard any capital gain or loss made by an employee share trust if all of the following apply:

As stated above in response to Question 1a, CGT event E5 happens under the terms of the Plans when the Participant becomes absolutely entitled to Shares as against the Trustee. Under subsection 130-85(2), Participants are taken to be absolutely entitled to the Shares held by the Trustee from the time they were granted the Incentive Right under the terms of the Plans.

Therefore, paragraph 130-90(1)(a) will be satisfied.

Paragraph 130-90(1)(b) is satisfied as CGT event E5 happens in relation to a Share, being a share in the capital of Company A held by the Trustee to which a Participant is absolutely entitled upon the vesting (or exercise if applicable) of an Incentive Right granted under the Plans. Paragraph 130-90(1)(c) is satisfied as a Participant will have acquired a beneficial interest in a Share on the vesting of an Incentive Right, and if applicable, by exercising a Vested Incentive Right, in accordance with the Plans.

Paragraph 130-90(1)(d) is satisfied because as stated above:

Accordingly, all the conditions in subsection 130-90(1) have been satisfied.

As all of the conditions in subsection 130-90(1) are satisfied, any capital gain or capital loss that arises for the Trust at the time when CGT event E5 happens will be disregarded if the Shares are acquired by the employee for the same or less than the cost base of the Shares in the hands of the Trust.


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