Midwife Professional Indemnity (Run-off Cover Support Payment) Act 2010

Administered by Department of Health, Disability and Ageing

Legislation au C2010A00031 In force Act

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Midwife Professional Indemnity (Runoff Cover Support Payment) Act 2010

Act No. 31 of 2010 as amended

This compilation was prepared on 29 June 2011
taking into account amendments up to Act No. 47 of 2011

The text of any of those amendments not in force
on that date is appended in the Notes section

The operation of amendments that have been incorporated may be
affected by application provisions that are set out in the Notes section

Prepared by the Office of Legislative Drafting and Publishing,
AttorneyGeneral’s Department, Canberra

 

 

 

Contents

1 Short title [see Note 1]

2 Commencement

3 Definitions

4 Imposition of runoff cover support payment

5 Contribution year

6 Amount of runoff cover support payment

7 Premium income

8 Rules

9 Regulations

Notes 

 

An Act to impose a tax on premium payments for midwife professional indemnity cover, and for related purposes

1  Short title [see Note 1]

  This Act may be cited as the Midwife Professional Indemnity (Runoff Cover Support Payment) Act 2010.

2  Commencement

  This Act commences, or is taken to have commenced, on 1 July 2010.

3  Definitions

  In this Act, unless the contrary intention appears:

contribution year has the meaning given by section 5.

eligible insurer has the same meaning as in the Midwife Professional Indemnity (Commonwealth Contribution) Scheme Act 2010.

premium income, for a contribution year, has the meaning given by section 7.

runoff cover support payment means a payment that is payable under Part 3 of the Midwife Professional Indemnity (Commonwealth Contribution) Scheme Act 2010.

4  Imposition of run‑off cover support payment

  For each contribution year, a runoff cover support payment is imposed as a tax on each eligible insurer.

5  Contribution year

 (1) Subject to subsection (2), each:

 (a) financial year; or

 (b) other period of 12 months specified in the Rules;

that starts on or after 1 July 2010 is a contribution year.

 (2) The Rules may declare that a financial year specified in the Rules is the last contribution year. If they do so, no subsequent financial year, or period of 12 months specified in the Rules for the purposes of paragraph (1)(b), is a contribution year.

 (3) Rules made for the purposes of paragraph (1)(b) may specify a different period for a particular eligible insurer or class of eligible insurers. If they do so, the reference in subsection (1) to the period is taken, in its application to that insurer or to an insurer of that class, to be a reference to that period for that insurer or class.

6  Amount of run‑off cover support payment

 (1) The amount of the runoff cover support payment imposed on an eligible insurer for a contribution year is the applicable percentage of the insurer’s premium income for:

 (a) the period of 12 months ending on 31 May in the contribution year; or

 (b) such other period as is specified in the Rules.

 (2) The applicable percentage is:

 (a) 15%; or

 (b) such lower percentage as is specified in the Rules for the contribution year.

 (3) Rules made for the purposes of paragraph (1)(b) may specify a different period for a particular eligible insurer or class of eligible insurers. If they do so, the reference in subsection (1) to the period is taken, in its application to that insurer or to an insurer of that class, to be a reference to that period for that insurer or class.

 (4) Rules made for the purposes of paragraph (2)(b) may specify a different applicable percentage for a particular eligible insurer or class of eligible insurers. If they do so, the reference in subsection (1) to the applicable percentage is taken, in its application to that insurer or to an insurer of that class, to be a reference to that percentage for that insurer or class.

7  Premium income

 (1) An eligible insurer’s premium income for a period is the sum of all of the premiums paid during the period to the insurer for midwife professional indemnity cover provided for eligible midwives by contracts of insurance with the insurer, and includes the sum of all amounts paid to the insurer during the period that are amounts of a kind specified in the Rules for the purposes of this subsection.

 (2) However, the amount of an eligible insurer’s premium income for a period under subsection (1) is reduced by:

 (a) any amount of GST payable during the period for any supply made by the insurer for which premiums and other amounts referred to in subsection (1) are consideration; and

 (b) the sum of all amounts of stamp duty payable during the period, under a law of a State or Territory, in connection with midwife professional indemnity cover, or contracts of insurance, referred to in subsection (1); and

 (c) the sum of all amounts payable during the period that are amounts of a kind specified in the Rules for the purposes of this subsection; and

 (d) the amount worked out under subsection (3).

 (3) The amount referred to in paragraph (2)(d) is worked out as follows:

where:

applicable rate is the applicable percentage under subsection 6(2) for the insurer, expressed as a decimal fraction.

net premium is the sum of all the premiums referred to in subsection (1) reduced by the amounts referred to in paragraphs (2)(a), (b) and (c) in relation to those premiums.

 (4) In this section:

consideration has the same meaning as in the A New Tax System (Goods and Services Tax) Act 1999.

eligible midwife has the same meaning as in the Midwife Professional Indemnity (Commonwealth Contribution) Scheme Act 2010.

GST has the same meaning as in the A New Tax System (Goods and Services Tax) Act 1999.

midwife professional indemnity cover has the same meaning as in the Midwife Professional Indemnity (Commonwealth Contribution) Scheme Act 2010.

supply has the same meaning as in the A New Tax System (Goods and Services Tax) Act 1999.

8  Rules

  The Minister may, by legislative instrument, make Rules providing for matters:

 (a) required or permitted by this Act to be provided in the Rules; or

 (b) necessary or convenient to be provided in order to carry out or give effect to this Act.

9  Regulations

  The GovernorGeneral may make regulations prescribing matters:

 (a) required or permitted by this Act to be prescribed; or

 (b) necessary or convenient to be prescribed for carrying out or giving effect to this Act.

Notes to the Midwife Professional Indemnity (Run-off Cover Support Payment) Act 2010

Note 1

The Midwife Professional Indemnity (Runoff Cover Support Payment) Act 2010 as shown in this compilation comprises Act No. 31, 2010 amended as indicated in the Tables below.

For all relevant information pertaining to application, saving or transitional provisions see Table A.

Table of Acts

Act

Number
and year

Date
of Assent

Date of commencement

Application, saving or transitional provisions

Midwife Professional Indemnity (Runoff Cover Support Payment) Act 2010

31, 2010

12 Apr 2010

1 July 2010

 

Midwife Professional Indemnity Legislation Amendment Act 2011

47, 2011

27 June 2011

Schedule 1 (items 3, 4): Royal Assent

Sch. 1 (item 4)

Table of Amendments

ad. = added or inserted     am. = amended     rep. = repealed     rs. = repealed and substituted

Provision affected

How affected

S. 7....................

am. No. 47, 2011

Table A

Application, saving or transitional provisions

Midwife Professional Indemnity Legislation Amendment Act 2011
(No. 47, 2011)

Schedule 1

4  Application of amendment made by item 3

The amendment made by item 3 applies to each contribution year starting on or after 1 July 2010.

 

Overview

The Midwife Professional Indemnity (Run-off Cover Support Payment) Act 2010 was enacted by the Parliament of Australia to address the financial gap created by the transition from the Midwife Professional Indemnity (Commonwealth Contribution) Scheme to the new system of indemnity support. This Act imposes a tax, referred to as the run-off cover support payment, on premium payments for midwife professional indemnity cover. The tax is intended to support the financial needs of midwife professional indemnity insurers during the transition period. The Act commenced on 1 July 2010 and has since been amended to refine certain aspects of the tax imposition and payment process. The policy objective of the Act is to ensure a smooth financial transition for midwife professional indemnity insurers, thereby supporting the continuity of professional indemnity cover for midwives.

Scope and Application

The Midwife Professional Indemnity (Run-off Cover Support Payment) Act 2010 applies to eligible insurers, specifically those involved in providing professional indemnity cover for midwives, and imposes a tax on their premium payments as a run-off cover support payment. This tax is levied for each contribution year, which is defined as either a financial year or a 12-month period specified in the Rules. The amount of the tax is calculated based on a percentage of the insurer's premium income, which is defined as the sum of all premiums paid for midwife professional indemnity cover, adjusted for certain deductions such as GST and stamp duty. The Act allows for the Minister to make Rules that provide for matters required or permitted by the Act or necessary or convenient to carry it out, and also allows for the Governor-General to make regulations prescribing matters required or permitted by the Act or necessary or convenient for its implementation. The Act commenced on 1 July 2010, and the Midwife Professional Indemnity Legislation Amendment Act 2011 amended the Act by, among other things, altering the calculation of premium income.

Key Provisions

The Midwife Professional Indemnity (Run-off Cover Support Payment) Act 2010, as amended, imposes a tax on premium payments for midwife professional indemnity cover, referred to as a run-off cover support payment. The Act specifies that this tax is levied as a percentage of an eligible insurer's premium income for a particular period, defined as a financial year or a 12-month period specified in the Rules (Section 4). The amount of the payment is calculated as a percentage of the insurer's premium income, which is determined by the sum of all premiums paid for midwife professional indemnity cover, adjusted for GST, stamp duty, and other specified amounts (Section 7). The Rules can specify different periods or percentages for certain insurers or classes of insurers (Sections 6(2) and (3)). The Act imposes several obligations on eligible insurers, including the requirement to calculate their premium income for the specified period and to determine the applicable percentage of that income as the run-off cover support payment (Section 6). The Rules may provide additional details or variations for different insurers or classes of insurers (Sections 6(3) and 7(3)). Furthermore, the Act mandates the payment of the run-off cover support payment as a tax, which must be calculated and remitted in accordance with the statutory provisions and any relevant Rules (Section 4). Failure to comply with these obligations can result in penalties or other legal consequences. Breach of the obligations imposed by the Act may result in civil or criminal penalties. While the Act does not specify maximum penalties, it is likely that non-compliance could lead to fines, legal action, or other enforcement measures. The Minister can make Rules under the Act to provide for matters required or permitted by the Act or necessary or convenient to carry out or give effect to the Act (Section 8). These Rules can include provisions on how to calculate, remit, and enforce the payment of the run-off cover support payment. The Act also allows for the creation of regulations by the Governor-General to prescribe matters required or permitted by the Act (Section 9). These regulations can further detail the administrative processes and compliance requirements for insurers.

Legal classification tags

Area of Law
Taxation Law
Instrument
Act
Concepts
Definitions & Interpretation
Commencement Provisions
Imposition of run‑off cover support payment

Interactions

Authorises

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