Tax Laws Amendment (Medicare Levy Surcharge Thresholds) Bill 2008

(Government)

(1)     Schedule 1, page 3 (before line 7), before item 1, insert:

1A  Subsection 3(1)

Insert:

singles surcharge threshold for a person for a year of income has the meaning given by section 5A.

1B  After section 5

Insert:

             (5)  The indexation factor mentioned in subsection (4) is calculated to 3 decimal places (rounding up if the fourth decimal place is 5 or more).

             (6)  The index number for a quarter is the estimate of full‑time adult average weekly ordinary time earnings for the middle month of the quarter first published by the Australian Statistician for that month.

[threshold—A New Tax System (Medicare Levy Surcharge—Fringe Benefits) Act 1999]

(2)     Schedule 1, item 1, page 3 (line 8), omit “$150,000”, substitute “an amount equal to double the singles surcharge threshold for the year of income”.

[threshold—A New Tax System (Medicare Levy Surcharge—Fringe Benefits) Act 1999]

(3)     Schedule 1, item 2, page 3 (lines 9 to 17), omit the item, substitute:

2  Subsection 6(2)

Repeal the subsection, substitute:

             (2)  However, if the person has 2 or more dependants who are children, the family surcharge threshold for the person for the year of income is the sum of:

                     (a)  an amount equal to double the singles surcharge threshold for the year of income; and

                     (b)  the result of the following formula:

Example:    If a person has 3 dependants who are children, the family surcharge threshold for the 2008‑09 year of income is:

[threshold—A New Tax System (Medicare Levy Surcharge—Fringe Benefits) Act 1999]

(4)     Schedule 1, item 3, page 3 (line 19), omit “$100,000”, substitute “the singles surcharge threshold for the year of income”.

[threshold—A New Tax System (Medicare Levy Surcharge—Fringe Benefits) Act 1999]

(5)     Schedule 1, page 3 (before line 21), before item 4, insert:

3A  Subsection 3(1)

Insert:

singles surcharge threshold for a person for a year of income has the meaning given by section 3AA.

3B  After section 3

Insert:

             (5)  The indexation factor mentioned in subsection (4) is calculated to 3 decimal places (rounding up if the fourth decimal place is 5 or more).

             (6)  The index number for a quarter is the estimate of full‑time adult average weekly ordinary time earnings for the middle month of the quarter first published by the Australian Statistician for that month.

[threshold—Medicare Levy Act 1986]

(6)     Schedule 1, item 4, page 3 (line 21) to page 4 (line 6), omit the item, substitute:

4  Section 3A

Repeal the section, substitute:

Example:    If a person has 3 dependants who are children, the family surcharge threshold for the 2008‑09 year of income is:

[threshold—Medicare Levy Act 1986]

(7)     Schedule 1, item 5, page 4 (line 8), omit “$100,000”, substitute “the singles surcharge threshold for the year of income”.

[threshold—Medicare Levy Act 1986]

(8)     Schedule 1, item 6, page 4 (line 10), omit “$100,000”, substitute “the singles surcharge threshold for the year of income”.

[threshold—Medicare Levy Act 1986]

(9)     Schedule 1, Part 2, page 5 (after line 5), at the end of the Part, add:

8  Transitional

(1)       In this item:

new Act means the A New Tax System (Medicare Levy Surcharge—Fringe Benefits) Act 1999, and the Medicare Levy Act 1986, as amended by this Schedule.

(2)       For the purposes of the new Acts, if:

                     (a)  a person is covered by an insurance policy that provides private patient hospital cover; and

                     (b)  the person is covered by that policy:

                              (i)  during any part of the period starting on 1 July 2008 and ending on 31 December 2008 (the designated period); and

                             (ii)  on 1 January 2009;

the person is taken to be covered by that policy during the whole of the designated period.

Note:       For this purpose, a person includes a dependant of another person.

[threshold]