ATO National Tax Equivalent Regime

PRELIMINARY

ABOUT THIS MANUAL

Manual for the NTER

1. This is a Manual of the administrative and technical operating features of the National Tax Equivalent Regime (NTER).

2. The Manual facilitates the establishment of the NTER, as foreshadowed in the Inter-Governmental Agreement on the Reform of Commonwealth-State Financial Relations, and is consistent with:

(i)
the November 2000 Final Report of the Heads of Treasuries Working Party on NTER; and
(ii)
the Memorandum of Understanding on NTER (the Memorandum), between the Commonwealth of Australia, the Commissioner of Taxation (the Commissioner) and all of the States and Territories.

Application

3. This Manual applies on or after 1 July 2001 to the state and territory government-owned enterprises (NTER entities) listed in the NTER entity register.

Amending the Manual

4. This Manual may be amended only as set out in the Memorandum.

Interpretation

5. In this Manual, unless a contrary intention appears:

' ATO ' means the Australian Taxation Office.

' Commissioner ' means the Commissioner of Taxation.

' ITAA 1936 ' means the Income Tax Assessment Act 1936.

' ITAA 1997 ' means the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997.

' Memorandum ' means the Memorandum of Understanding on NTER between the Commonwealth of Australia, the Commissioner and all of the States and Territories.

' NTER ' means the National Tax Equivalent Regime.

' NTER entity ' means a state or territory government-owned enterprise listed in the NTER entity register.

' NTER entity register ' means the register of the NTER entities referred to in the Memorandum.

' NTER-related activities ' means the activities of NTER administration, to be undertaken by the Commissioner, which are set out in Attachment 2.

' NTER Work Plan ' means a work plan as described in clause 12 of the Memorandum.

' PAYG instalment report ' means the form provided at Attachment 3 on which NTER entities advise the Commissioner of their monthly or quarterly NTER income and their monthly or quarterly instalment of expected income tax equivalent liability.

[ History: Meaning of 'PAYG instalment report' amended April 2014 (Version 9), with effect from the instalment month starting on 1 January 2014, by inserting references to monthly instalments. ]

' Relevant taxation laws ' means the federal income tax laws listed in Attachment 4, modified in accordance with this Manual. The relevant taxation laws constitute the administrative and technical rules of the NTER.

' TAA ' means the Taxation Administration Act 1953.

' TER ' means a tax equivalent regime of a state or territory.

Version history

Prior versions of the ATO National Tax Equivalent Regime, from Version 6, can be requested from atolawsupport@ato.gov.au , if required.

Version Date released
Version 1 June 2001
Version 2 July 2002
Version 3 March 2004
Version 4 February 2005
Version 5 January 2006
Version 6 January 2008
Version 7 March 2010
Version 8 February 2012
Version 9 April 2014
Version 10 April 2016
Version 11 October 2019
Version 12 January 2022
Version 13 July 2025


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