Treasury Laws Amendment (News Media Bargaining) (Consequential) Act 2026 (79 of 2026)

Schedule 1   Amendments

Part 1   Amendments

Taxation Administration Act 1953

11   After Part 3-18 in Schedule 1

Insert:

Part 3-19 - News media bargaining charge

Division 129 - General provisions relating to the news media bargaining charge

129-1 What this Division is about

You must ensure the Commissioner is given a return relating to news media bargaining charge if:

(a) you are liable to pay such charge for a financial year; or

(b) you would be so liable if you had not offset such charge.

An amount of charge is due and payable 21 days after the day the Commissioner gives you a notice of assessment.

This Division contains other rules relating to the administration of the charge, including rules dealing with related charges and assessments.

Table of sections

Operative provisions

129-5 Returns

129-10 When news media bargaining charge and related charges are due and payable

129-15 Additional liability of members of a service group

Operative provisions

129-5 Returns

(1) You must ensure the Commissioner is given a return, that relates to *news media bargaining charge and is in the *approved form, if:

(a) you are liable to pay such charge under section 13 of the News Media Bargaining (Administration)Act 2026 for a financial year; or

(b) you would be so liable to pay more than a nil amount were it not for Part 4 (about offsetting charge) of that Act.

Note 1: A return must be given even if the amount of charge you are liable to pay is nil after applying offsets under Part 4 of that Act.

Note 2: Paragraphs (a) and (b) mean the obligations in this section apply to the parent entity of a service group for the purposes of that Act.

(2) At or before the time the return is given, you must notify the Commissioner, in the *approved form, of the entity that is to give the return. This entity must be:

(a) unless paragraph (b) applies - a member of your service group (within the meaning of the News Media Bargaining (Administration)Act 2026) that is an Australian resident; or

(b) if no member of your service group (within the meaning of that Act) is an Australian resident - you.

(3) The return must be given under subsection (1) within 6 months after the end of the financial year.

129-10 When news media bargaining charge and related charges are due and payable

Original assessments

(1) If you are liable to pay an amount of *news media bargaining charge for a financial year, the amount is due and payable 21 days after the day the Commissioner gives you a notice of assessment for the financial year.

Amended assessments

(2) If the Commissioner amends your assessment of an amount of *news media bargaining charge, any extra charge resulting from the amendment is due and payable 21 days after the day the Commissioner gives you notice of the amended assessment.

Shortfall interest charge

(3) If you are liable to pay an amount of *shortfall interest charge under section 280-102G, the amount is due and payable 21 days after the day the Commissioner gives you notice of the charge.

General interest charge

(4) If an amount of:

(a) *news media bargaining charge; or

(b) *shortfall interest charge;

payable under this section remains unpaid after it is due and payable, you are liable to pay *general interest charge on the unpaid amount for each day in the period that:

(c) started at the beginning of the day by which the amount was due to be paid; and

(d) finishes at the end of the last day at the end of which any of the following remains unpaid:

(i) the amount of news media bargaining charge or shortfall interest charge;

(ii) general interest charge on any of the amount of news media bargaining charge or shortfall interest charge.

129-15 Additional liability of members of a service group

(1) If an amount is payable as described in section 129-10 by a parent entity (within the meaning of the News Media Bargaining (Administration)Act 2026) of a service group (within the meaning of that Act):

(a) the parent entity; and

(b) each other member of the service group (other than a member excluded by subsection (2));

are jointly and severally liable to pay the amount.

(2) For the purposes of subsection (1), a member is excluded by this subsection if it is, at the time the amount becomes due and payable, prohibited according to the effect of an *Australian law from entering into any arrangement under which the member becomes subject to a liability referred to in that subsection.