Superannuation Guarantee Ruling

SGR 94/4

Superannuation guarantee: Ordinary time earnings

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FOI status:

may be releasedFOI number: I 1016263

What this Ruling is about

1. This Ruling explains what are 'ordinary time earnings' (OTE) as defined in subsection 6(1) of the Superannuation Guarantee (Administration) Act 1992 (SGAA).

2. Under the SGAA, an employer's liability is based on the employee's notional earnings base. OTE is used as a default earnings base where there are no other acceptable earnings bases relevant to a particular employee.

Previous Rulings

3. This Ruling replaces SGR 93/3 which is withdrawn from the date of this Ruling.

4. This Ruling takes into account any changes to the SGAA up until the date of this Ruling. The proposed measures announced by the Treasurer on 28 June 1994 are not included in this Ruling.

Ruling

5. Subsection 6(1) of the SGAA defines OTE in this way:

' "ordinary time earnings", in relation to an employee, means:

(a)

the total of:

(i)

earnings in respect of ordinary hours of work other than earnings consisting of a lump sum payment of any of the following kinds made to the employee on the termination of his or her employment:

(A)

a payment in lieu of unused sick leave;

(B)

a payment in lieu of unused annual leave within the meaning of subsection 26AC(1) of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1936 (ITAA);

(C)

a payment in lieu of unused long service leave within the meaning of subsection 26AD(1) of the ITAA; and

(ii)

earnings consisting of over award payments, shift loading or commission; or

(b)

if the total ascertained in accordance with paragraph (a) would be greater than the maximum contribution base for the contribution period - the maximum contribution base'.

6. A "maximum contribution base" is a maximum limit on the amount of superannuation support that an employer is expected to provide for the benefit of an employee. This maximum limit is subject to annual indexation; indexed to AWOTE. The maximum limit for each contribution period is $40,000 in the 1992-93 financial year, $20,160 (quarterly) in the 1993-94 financial year, and $20,780 (quarterly) in the 1994-95 financial year.

Ordinary hours of work

7. The ordinary hours of work may be specified in a statute or under an industrial award. If so, the ordinary hours specified are also the ordinary hours of work under the SGAA.

8. If an employee is not covered by an award, but has agreed to work a certain number of hours, those hours are the employee's ordinary hours of work. The hours agreed will be determined in the light of all the circumstances (for example, hours actually worked, the industry norm, or what is contained in any written agreement).

9. If the ordinary hours of work are not specified or agreed, the ordinary hours of work will be the hours actually worked and any hours of paid leave.

10. Ordinary hours of work are not limited to hours between 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday. They could include night and weekend shifts.

In respect of

11. The term 'in respect of' means to have some connection with. For the definition of OTE, a payment will be taken to be earnings in respect of ordinary hours of work if it is made:

*

for attendance, or for work done, in those hours; or

*

to satisfy an entitlement that accrued as a result of attending, or working, in those hours.

Entitlements accrued before 1 July 1992

12. A payment made after 30 June 1992 will form part of OTE even though it reflects an entitlement accrued for ordinary hours of work before the SGAA commenced.

Over award payments, shift loadings and commissions

13. Over award payments, shift loadings and commissions are OTE even if they are paid for work done outside ordinary hours of work.

14. An over award payment is the excess by which the actual rate paid to an employee exceeds the award rate.

15. A shift loading is an additional payment for employees who work shifts other than normal day shifts. The payment may be a percentage of the ordinary time rate and is paid as compensation for inconvenient working hours.

16. A commission is any payment made to an employee on the basis of agreed performance criteria (for example, a payment based on a percentage of sales). A commission also includes a fee allocated to an agent for services rendered.

Date of effect

17. This Ruling sets out the current practice of the Australian Taxation Office and is not concerned with a change in interpretation. Consequently, it applies from the time that the legislation commenced to operate.

Explanations

What is included in Ordinary Time Earnings?

18.

What is excluded from Ordinary Time Earnings?

19.

Allowances and reimbursements

20. What is an allowance? An allowance is a payment of a definite predetermined amount to cover an estimated expense. It is paid regardless of whether the employee incurs the expected expense. The employee has the discretion whether or not to expend the allowance.

21. What is a reimbursement? A payment is a reimbursement if the employee is compensated exactly for all or an agreed part of an expense already incurred, although not necessarily disbursed. With reimbursements in general, the employer considers the expense to be its own and the employee incurs the expenditure on behalf of the employer. A requirement that the employee vouch expenses lends weight to a presumption that a payment is a reimbursement rather than an allowance.

22. An employer may make a payment in advance to an employee to enable the employee to expend an amount of money. Where the employee is required to account for any unspent monies to the employer, the payment is neither an allowance nor a reimbursement. In this situation the employee expends the money as an agent for the employer. The payment is not included in OTE.

Top up payments

23. Top up payments are paid by the employer, either by obligation (e.g. an award) or gratuitously. In general, the payment is made to compensate the employee for a reduced income when the employee serves, for example, on jury duty, or with the reserve forces. The payment is not in connection with work for the employer and is therefore not a payment in respect of ordinary hours. The payment is not included in OTE.

Bonuses

24. A bonus will form part of an employee's ordinary time earnings where the bonus is paid in respect of ordinary hours of work. The CCH Macquarie Dictionary of Employment and Industrial Relations defines a bonus as:

'a payment above the regular basic rate or standard pay, e.g. a payment for overtime or shift work, or attendance, an allowance for work under exceptional conditions, as well as an incentive payment made under a piecework system or incentive scheme or as a production bonus.'

25. All of these payments (excluding payments for overtime) would form part of an employee's ordinary time earnings.

26. A bonus that is an 'ex gratia payment' would not form part of an employee's ordinary time earnings. A discretionary payment made as a free gift and not subject to negotiation (such as a Christmas bonus) is not OTE.

Examples

27.

(a)

David is an employee of JJ Investment Pty Ltd. Apart from his usual salary, David is paid $300 per month to cover expenses he is expected to incur while visiting clients. The payment is an allowance because David is paid regardless of whether he spends the $300. Therefore, the payment is OTE.

(b)

Bernie works for an oil company and is living on an offshore oil rig. Bernie is paid a living away from home allowance to compensate him for having to live away from his usual place of residence. This payment is a fringe benefit and not treated as salary or wages in the employee's hands. Therefore, it is not OTE.

(c)

Suzie is an employee of Wakup Pty Ltd. At the end of the year the company gives her $2,500 as a Christmas gift. This is a Christmas bonus paid to Suzie as an expression of the company's goodwill. It is not a payment made in respect of Suzie's ordinary hours of work, and so it is not OTE.

If the bonus had been paid to Suzie on the basis of agreed performance criteria it would be OTE.

(d)

Mary's employer requests her to purchase some office supplies and gives her $100. Mary is required to obtain a receipt and to return the change to her employer. This payment is neither a reimbursement nor an allowance and is not included in OTE. Mary expends the money as agent of her employer.

(e)

Jon is rostered to work shift work which includes weekend work. In addition to his normal pay and shift loading, he is paid a weekend penalty rate. At the end of one shift, Jon's employer asks him to work two hours paid overtime. The weekend penalty rate forms part of OTE as it is paid for ordinary hours of work. The shift loading is included in OTE, by definition, However, the overtime payment is not included in OTE as it is paid for work performed outside ordinary hours of work.

(f)

Don travels by car on behalf of his employer and pays for the petrol used on the trip. On his return he provides receipts to his employer for $150, the cost of the petrol. When the employer reimburses Don, the $150 payment is a reimbursement and does not form part of OTE.

(g)

Tom uses his own car to travel 100 kilometres on behalf of his employer. Tom pays for any expenses such as petrol and incurs wear and tear on his vehicle. On his return Tom submits a claim for $46.50 to his employer for travel costs. Tom has calculated the amount by applying a set travel rate of 46.5 cents per kilometre travelled. When the employer pays Tom, the $46.50 is a reimbursement and does not form part of OTE. This is because Tom has calculated the amount using the 1993-94 statutory formula in the income tax laws (46.5 cents per kilometre for a 1600cc motor).

(h)

Claire serves five days on jury duty and is paid $300 by the court. Because Claire's OTE is normally $400 for five days work, her employer has decided to top up the jury payment by $100. The employer's top-up payment of $100 is not in connection with Claire's work for the employer and is therefore not in respect of ordinary hours of work. Neither the jury duty payment nor the top up payment form part of OTE.

attachment a

Commissioner of Taxation
15 September 1994

References

ATO references:
NO 93/5191-4 94/6341-1

Related Rulings/Determinations:

SGR 94/5

Subject References:
allowance
bonuses
commission
maximum contribution base
ordinary hours of work
ordinary time earnings
over award payments
reimbursement
shift loading

Legislative References:
SGAA 6(1)
ITAA 26AC(1)
ITAA 26AD(1)