Amounts to include in the workbook

Foreign source income and foreign entities income

If you deducted expenses when you worked out the net foreign source income at question 20, show:

• the gross foreign income amounts from question 20 – labels E and F in Worksheet 1, column (b), row 6
• the expenses amount you deducted for the amounts shown at question 20 – labels T, L, D, R and M in Worksheet 2, column (b), row 7.

If part or all of your foreign source income or foreign entities income is from a partnership, and you included other income of that partnership at question 13, show:

• the foreign income from the partnership in Worksheet 3, row 3, (not in worksheet 1)
• any related expenses in Worksheet 4, row 4 (not in worksheet 2).

Forestry managed investment scheme

If you show amounts for forestry managed investment schemes (FMIS) at question 23 or D14 in your tax return 2024, you need to establish whether:

• you were an investor in the FMIS
• you were carrying on a business
• your investment was solely or jointly owned.

If we issued a product ruling for the FMIS, it could state whether we consider that you are carrying on a business.

Farm management deposits and repayments

If you show amounts for farm management deposits and repayments at question 17 in your tax return, show:

• the total repayments amount from labels N and R in Worksheet 1, column (b), row 4.
• the total deductible deposits amount from label D in Worksheet 2, column (b), row 6.

For each worksheet, apportion the total amount in column (b) into columns (c) and (d) depending on the original source of that primary production income. If the income came from:

• a trust, show it in column (c)
• you individually, show it in column (d)
• a partnership, show it in column (d).

Other income

If you show an amount at question 24, you need to include it in Worksheet 1. Some of that income might be eligible employment or business income.

For the specific meaning of the business income, eligible income and employment income see below.

Total income

Total income for the purposes of super co-contribution equals:

• the sum of your assessable income, reportable fringe benefits total, and the total of your reportable employer super contributions (RESC) for the income year
• less any allowable business deductions and any assessable first home super saver (FHSS) released amount.

Total income for the purposes of the low income super tax offset equals:

• the sum of your assessable income, reportable fringe benefits total, and the total of your reportable employer super contributions for the income year
• less any assessable first home super saver released amount.

Business income

Business income is income you earn from carrying on a business either solely or in partnership. For government super contributions purposes, distributions of business income from a trust or from a company in which you hold shares are not regarded as your business income.

Most business income is included in the Business and professional items schedule for individuals 2024 at question P8. However, the schedule instructs that some types of income should be included in other questions in your tax return. In order to determine eligibility for Government super contributions we need to know your total business income, not just the amounts included at question P8. We ask you to calculate these amounts in worksheets 1, 3 and 5.

Eligible income

To be eligible for government super contributions, 10% or more of your total income (without a reduction for allowable business deductions) must be from eligible income, which is income from running a business, eligible employment or a combination of both.

To get a government super contribution for 2023–24, you must be an employee or in business during 2023–24. Common examples of eligible income are salary, allowances, lump sum payments, employment termination payments, reportable fringe benefits and reportable employer super contributions.

Personal services income (PSI) you show at question P1 of your Business and professional items schedule for individuals 2024 is treated as eligible income if the income is attributed to employment or business. However, if your PSI does not relate to employment or the carrying on of a business, then it is ineligible income.

Employment income

To be eligible for government super contributions, 10% or more of your total income (without a reduction for allowable business deductions) must be from eligible income. Eligible income must be attributable to employment that you carry on in 2023–24.

For the purposes of working out your employment income for question A3, an employee, in addition to its ordinary meaning, also includes a person who:

• works under a contract that is wholly or principally for their labour
• is paid as a member of an executive body of a company (for example, a director of the company)
• is paid to perform or present, or to participate in the performance or presentation of, any music, play, dance, entertainment, sport, display or promotional activity or any similar activity involving the exercise of intellectual, artistic, musical, physical or other personal skills, or provides services in connection with such activities
• is paid to perform services in, or in connection with, the making of any film, tape or disc or of any television or radio broadcast
• holds an appointment, office or position under a Commonwealth, state or territory law, or under the Constitution
• is in the service of the Commonwealth, or a state or territory (including members of the defence forces, or police force)
• is a member of parliament (Commonwealth, state or territory).

A person who holds office as a member of a local government council is not necessarily regarded as an employee of the council. They are only regarded as an employee if the local government council has decided that the salary of its members is subject to pay as you go (PAYG) withholding.

For the purposes of determining eligibility for Government super contributions, income that is attributable to employment is included as eligible income. This means that eligible income can include amounts that are compensatory (for example, lost earnings) or government incentives (for example, paid parental leave), where there is a connection between the employment activities and the payment. However, these payments are only eligible income for 2023–24 if the person remains an employee of the relevant employer for at least some part of 2023–24.

Ineligible income

To be eligible for government super contributions, 10% or more of your total income (without a reduction for allowable business deductions) must be from eligible income. Eligible income is from running a business, employment or a combination of both. For the purposes of filling out question A3, income is either eligible or ineligible. Ineligible income includes income from your investments.

Continue to: Instructions to complete the government super contributions worksheets