Senator CONROY (Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy) (6:13 PM) —Thank you, Senator Joyce, that explains many things. I would like to thank senators who have taken part in the debate on the Tax Laws Amendment (2008 Measures No. 3) Bill 2008. Schedule 1 to this bill will overcome the impact of the decision of the High Court of Australia in Commissioner of Taxation v McNeil. The amendments will restore the longstanding tax treatment of rights issued by companies or unit trusts to existing members to acquire additional memberships. As a result of these amendments, no amount will be included in the assessable income of a member as a result of acquiring certain rights issued by company or unit trust. In addition, if an amount is included in the assessable income of a member as a result of acquiring rights issued by a company to dispose of shares, this will be reflected in the capital gains tax cost base of the rights.

Schedule 2 corrects a deficiency in the GST refund restriction provisions. The decision of the Federal Court in KAP Motors highlighted anomalies in the operation of the restriction on refunds of GST, and the application of the four-year time limit for payments and refunds of indirect tax. As a result of this decision, taxpayers are entitled to obtain refunds where GST has been charged but it is later determined that a transaction was not a supplier for GST purposes. This is not consistent with the intended policy intent of the refund restriction.

This measure ensures that businesses are not entitled to obtain a refund unless they have satisfied the Commissioner of Taxation that they have reimbursed their customers. This ensures that businesses are not enriched when the economic incidence of the GST has fallen on their customer. It also ensures that there will be no entitlements to refunds in relation to transactions between businesses. In these transactions there will generally be no GST borne, as the purchaser will generally be eligible to obtain an input tax credit. This decision also highlighted that certain payments and refunds of GST could be made outside the intended four-year time limit on claims. The amendments provide that a consistent four-year time limit will now apply to payments and refunds of indirect tax. This brings the operation of the time limits back in line with their intended operation. The amendments apply from 1 July 2008. The amendments in this bill help to restore fairness to the tax system and contribute to funding the government’s key priorities for the future. I commend this bill to the Senate.

Question agreed to.

Bill read a second time.