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Edited version of your private ruling
Authorisation Number: 1012508553657
Ruling
Subject: Compensation - loss of earnings
Question
Is the portion of a compensation payment relating to loss of earnings considered assessable income?
Answer
Yes
This ruling applies for the following periods:
Year ended 30 June 2010
Year ended 30 June 2011
Year ended 30 June 2012
Year ended 30 June 2013
The scheme commences on:
1 July 2009
Relevant facts and circumstances
You were the victim of an act of violence.
You applied for compensation.
You received compensation which included an identifiable amount for loss of earnings.
Relevant legislative provisions
Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 Section 6-5
Reasons for decision
Subsection 6-5(2) of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 (ITAA 1997) provides that the assessable income of an Australian resident taxpayer includes ordinary income derived directly or indirectly from all sources during the income year.
Ordinary income has been held to include income from providing personal services, income from property and income from carrying on a business. Other characteristics of income that have evolved from case law include receipts that:
· are earned
· are expected or relied upon
· have an element of periodicity, recurrence or regularity
· replace income.
Payments of salary and wages are income according to ordinary concepts and are included in assessable income under section 6-5 of the ITAA 1997.
An amount paid to compensate for loss generally acquires the character of that for which it is substituted (FC of T v. Dixon (1952) 86 CLR 540; (1952) 5 ATR 443; 10 ATD 82). Compensation payments which substitute income have been held by the courts to be income under ordinary concepts (FC of T v. Inkster (1989) 20 ATR 1516; 89 ATC 5142; Tinkler v. FC of T (1979) 10 ATR 411; 79 ATC 4641; Case Y47 (1991) 22 ATR 3422; 91 ATC 433).
Taxation Determination TD 93/58 outlines the circumstances under which the receipt of a lump sum compensation/settlement payment is assessable as ordinary income. The determination states that where the compensation payment is for loss of income, the amount is assessable as ordinary income. Where a portion of a lump sum payment is identifiable and quantifiable as income, that portion of the payment will be assessable.
In your case, you received compensation. The compensation included an amount paid for loss of earnings. The amount paid to compensate for loss of earnings is assessable as ordinary income under subsection 6-5(2) of the ITAA 1997 in the income year it was received.