Goods and Services Tax: Foreign Currency Conversion Determination (No. 30) 2016

Administered by Department of the Treasury

Legislation au F2016L00180 Not in force Legislative Instrument

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Explanatory Statement

 

Goods and Services Tax: Foreign Currency Conversion Determination (No. 30) 2016 

 

General outline of determination

  1. This determination is made under subsection 9-85(2) of the A New Tax System (Goods and Services Tax) Act 1999 (the GST Act).
  2. This determination sets out the method to convert amounts of consideration that are expressed in foreign currency into Australian currency for the purposes of working out the value of a taxable supply.
  3. The determination is a legislative instrument for the purposes of the Legislative Instruments Act 2003.

 

Date of effect

4.      The determination commences on the day after registration.

 

What is this determination about

5.      Subsection 9-85(1) of the GST Act requires that the value of a taxable supply be expressed in Australian currency. An entity must report the GST payable for taxable supplies in Australian currency on their activity statements.

6.      In the determination, the Commissioner sets out a method a taxpayer must use to convert foreign currency to Australian currency when working out the value of a taxable supply.

 

What is the effect of this determination

7.      In working out the value of a taxable supply, an entity must convert any amount of consideration expressed in foreign currency using the following formula:

 

 


 

Amount expressed

 

1

in a

X

your particular exchange rate

foreign currency

 

on the conversion day

 

 

where,

your particular exchange rate is the rate from a foreign exchange organisation, the RBA rate, or the agreed rate, whichever the entity has chosen; and

 

conversion day is the date that the foreign currency is converted into Australian currency as set out in Clause 7 of the determination.

 

8.      Compliance cost impact: minor- there will be no or minimal impacts for both implementation and ongoing compliance costs. The legislative instrument is minor or machinery in nature.
 

Background

9.      The determination replaces the A New Tax System (Goods and Services Tax) Act Foreign Exchange Conversion Determination (No. 1) 2001 (the previous determination)- F2006B00096. The replaced instrument is repealed on commencement of this determination.

 

Consultation:

10.  Section 18 of the Legislative Instruments Act 2003 specifically provides for circumstances where consultation may not be necessary or appropriate. One of those circumstances is where the instrument is considered minor or machinery in nature, and does not substantially change the law.

11.  In this case, no further consultation has been undertaken in the development of this determination because there is no substantive change from the previous determination and it is considered minor or machinery in nature.

 

Legislative references:

A New Tax System (Goods and Services Tax) Act 1999

Legislative Instruments Act 2003

Human Rights (Parliamentary Scrutiny) Act 2011

 

 

 

Timothy Dyce

Deputy Commissioner of Taxation

24 February 2016

 


Statement of Compatibility with Human Rights

This statement is prepared in accordance with Part 3 of the Human Rights (Parliamentary Scrutiny) Act 2011.

 

Goods and Services Tax: Foreign Conversion Determination (No. 30) 2016

 

This Legislative Instrument is compatible with the human rights and freedoms recognised or declared in the international instruments listed in section 3 of the Human Rights (Parliamentary Scrutiny) Act 2011.

 

Overview of the Legislative Instrument

This Legislative Instrument prescribes the manner in which consideration expressed in a foreign currency must to be converted into Australian currency when working out the value of a taxable supply for the purposes of the A New Tax System (Goods and Services Tax) Act 1999.

Human rights implications

This Legislative Instrument does not engage any of the applicable rights or freedoms as it is considered to be minor or machinery in nature and does not substantially change the law.

Conclusion

This Legislative Instrument is compatible with human rights as it does not raise any human rights issues.

 

 

Overview

The Goods and Services Tax: Foreign Currency Conversion Determination (No. 30) 2016 was enacted to provide clarity on the conversion of foreign currency amounts into Australian currency for the purposes of calculating the value of taxable supplies under the A New Tax System (Goods and Services Tax) Act 1999. This legislative instrument was developed under subsection 9-85(2) of the GST Act to ensure compliance with the requirement that the value of taxable supplies be reported in Australian currency. The determination sets out a specific method for conversion, utilising either a rate from a foreign exchange organisation, the Reserve Bank of Australia rate, or an agreed rate, chosen by the entity. This legislative instrument was introduced by the Parliament of Australia and is intended to maintain consistency in tax reporting while providing a clear framework for foreign currency conversion in the context of GST calculations.

Scope and Application

The Goods and Services Tax: Foreign Currency Conversion Determination (No. 30) 2016 applies to entities making taxable supplies under the A New Tax System (Goods and Services Tax) Act 1999 (GST Act). This includes businesses and individuals who engage in activities that involve foreign currency transactions and need to report the GST payable in Australian currency. The determination specifies the method for converting foreign currency amounts into Australian currency to determine the value of a taxable supply, ensuring compliance with the GST Act's requirements for currency reporting. The method prescribed involves using a particular exchange rate on a specified conversion day, and the determination provides flexibility by allowing entities to choose the exchange rate from a foreign exchange organisation, the Reserve Bank of Australia rate, or an agreed rate. This legislative instrument operates on a Commonwealth level and is considered minor or machinery in nature, with no substantial changes from previous legislation, hence consultation was deemed unnecessary.

Key Provisions

The Goods and Services Tax: Foreign Currency Conversion Determination (No. 30) 2016 (the Determination) provides a method for converting foreign currency amounts into Australian currency for the purposes of calculating the value of a taxable supply, as required under subsection 9-85(1) of the A New Tax System (Goods and Services Tax) Act 1999 (the GST Act). According to the Determination, a taxpayer must use a specific formula to convert any foreign currency amounts into Australian currency when determining the value of a taxable supply. The formula involves using the entity's chosen exchange rate on the conversion day (sections 6 and 7). The Determination imposes specific obligations on entities that make taxable supplies and need to convert foreign currency amounts into Australian currency. Entities must ensure that they use the prescribed conversion method as outlined in the Determination when calculating the value of their taxable supplies (section 6). This includes using the appropriate exchange rate on the conversion day, as stipulated in Clause 7 of the Determination. Under the GST Act, failure to comply with the Determination may result in various consequences, including potential GST assessment and the imposition of penalties. For example, the GST Act contains provisions for penalties and interest in cases of non-compliance with GST obligations, including the incorrect calculation of the value of a taxable supply due to the improper conversion of foreign currency amounts (sections 9-40 and 9-60 of the GST Act). The specific penalties and consequences for non-compliance with the Determination would depend on the nature and extent of the breach, as well as the applicable provisions of the GST Act.

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Sourced from the Federal Register of Legislation at 26 August 2026. For the latest information on Australian Government law please go to https://www.legislation.gov.au.