Treasury Laws Amendment (GST Integrity) Act 2017

Administered by Department of the Treasury

Legislation au C2017A00076 In force Act

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Treasury Laws Amendment (GST Integrity) Act 2017

 

No. 76, 2017

 

 

 

 

 

An Act to amend the laws relating to taxation, and for related purposes

 

 

Contents

1 Short title

2 Commencement

3 Schedules

Schedule 1—GST and valuable metals

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

 

 

 

Treasury Laws Amendment (GST Integrity) Act 2017

No. 76, 2017

 

 

 

An Act to amend the laws relating to taxation, and for related purposes

[Assented to 26 June 2017]

The Parliament of Australia enacts:

1  Short title

  This Act is the Treasury Laws Amendment (GST Integrity) Act 2017.

2  Commencement

 (1) Each provision of this Act specified in column 1 of the table commences, or is taken to have commenced, in accordance with column 2 of the table. Any other statement in column 2 has effect according to its terms.

 

Commencement information

Column 1

Column 2

Column 3

Provisions

Commencement

Date/Details

1.  The whole of this Act

The day after this Act receives the Royal Assent.

27 June 2017

Note: This table relates only to the provisions of this Act as originally enacted. It will not be amended to deal with any later amendments of this Act.

 (2) Any information in column 3 of the table is not part of this Act. Information may be inserted in this column, or information in it may be edited, in any published version of this Act.

3  Schedules

  Legislation that is specified in a Schedule to this Act is amended or repealed as set out in the applicable items in the Schedule concerned, and any other item in a Schedule to this Act has effect according to its terms.

Schedule 1—GST and valuable metals

 

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

1  Section 969 (at the end of the table)

Add:

 

6

Valuable metals

Division 86

2  Section 999 (after table item 8)

Insert:

 

8A

Valuable metals

Division 86

3  Section 371 (after table item 36A)

Insert:

 

36AA

Valuable metals

Division 86

4  Paragraph 5810(2)(b)

After “section 845”, insert “or 865”.

5  Subsection 5810(6)

Omit “and 8410”, substitute “, 8410 and 865”.

6  After Division 85

Insert:

Division 86—Valuable metals

86‑1  What this Division is about

The GST on taxable supplies of goods consisting wholly or partly of valuable metal can be “reverse charged” to the recipients.

86‑5  “Reverse charge” on supplies of goods consisting of valuable metal

 (1) The GST on a *taxable supply of goods is payable by the *recipient of the supply, and is not payable by the supplier, if:

 (a) the goods consist wholly or partly of *valuable metal; and

 (b) the recipient is *registered or *required to be registered; and

 (c) either:

 (i) at the time of the supply, the market value of the goods does not exceed the *valuable metal threshold; or

 (ii) the supplier and the recipient agree, in writing, that the GST on the supply be payable by the recipient.

 (2) Subsection (1) does not apply to a *taxable supply of goods if the supply is in a class of supplies determined under subsection (3).

Determination

 (3) For the purposes of subsection (2), the Commissioner may, by legislative instrument, determine that subsection (1) does not apply to a specified class of supplies.

 (4) In making a determination under subsection (3), the Commissioner may have regard to the following:

 (a) the likelihood that *recipients and suppliers of that class of supply will otherwise comply with their obligations under the *GST law, and the risk of GST not being paid on *taxable supplies in that class if recipients do not pay the GST;

 (b) the costs for recipients and suppliers of that class of supplies to comply with subsection (1);

 (c) any other relevant matters.

Effect of this section on other sections

 (5) This section has effect despite sections 940 (which is about liability for the GST), 4840, 5130 and 835 (which are about who is liable for GST).

86‑10  The valuable metal threshold

 (1) The market value of goods consisting wholly or partly of *valuable metal exceeds the valuable metal threshold at a time if, at that time:

 (a) unless paragraph (b) applies—the market value of the goods exceeds the market value of the valuable metal in the goods by at least the specified percentage (see subsection (4)); or

 (b) if the goods consist of goods (separate goods), each of which:

 (i) consist wholly or partly of valuable metal; and

 (ii) can be separately supplied;

  the market value of each of the separate goods exceeds the market value of the valuable metal in those particular separate goods by at least the specified percentage.

Market value of goods and valuable metal

 (2) For the purposes of subsection (1), the market value of goods or *valuable metal in goods:

 (a) is to be worked out disregarding any amount of GST:

 (i) that is payable on the supply of the goods or metal; or

 (ii) if there is no supply of valuable metal—that would be payable if there were a supply of valuable metal; and

 (b) either:

 (i) unless subparagraph (ii) applies—is the market value of the goods or metal within the ordinary meaning of the expression; or

 (ii) if the Commissioner has determined under subsection (3) one or more methods for working out the market value of goods or metal—the market value of the goods or metal worked out using any one of those methods.

 (3) The Commissioner may, by legislative instrument, determine one or more methods of working out the market value of goods or *valuable metal for the purposes of subparagraph (2)(b)(ii).

Specified percentage

 (4) For the purposes of subsection (1), the specified percentage is:

 (a) if the Minister determines a percentage under subsection (5)—that percentage; or

 (b) otherwise—10%.

 (5) The Minister may, by legislative instrument, determine a percentage for the purposes of paragraph (4)(a).

Effect of section

 (6) To avoid doubt, this section does not affect how goods that consist of goods that can be separately supplied are otherwise treated for the purposes of this Act.

86‑15  Recipients who are members of GST groups

 (1) If section 865 applies to a *taxable supply but the *recipient of the supply is a *member of a *GST group, the GST on the supply:

 (a) is payable by the *representative member; and

 (b) is not payable by the member (unless the member is the representative member).

 (2) This section has effect despite sections 4840, 5130 and 865 (which are about who is liable for GST).

86‑20  Recipients who are participants in GST joint ventures

 (1) If section 865 applies to a *taxable supply but the *recipient of the supply is a *participant in a *GST joint venture and the supply is made, on the recipient’s behalf, by the *joint venture operator of the GST joint venture in the course of activities for which the joint venture was entered into, the GST on the supply:

 (a) is payable by the joint venture operator; and

 (b) is not payable by the participant.

 (2) This section has effect despite sections 4840, 5130 and 865 (which are about who is liable for GST).

86‑25  The amount of GST on “reverse charged” supplies of goods consisting of valuable metal

 (1) The amount of GST on a supply to which section 865, 8615 or 8620 applies is 10% of the *price of the supply.

 (2) This section has effect despite section 970 (which is about the amount of GST on taxable supplies).

7  Section 18823 (heading)

Repeal the heading, substitute:

188‑23  Supplies “reverse charged” under Division 83 or 86 not to be included in a recipient’s GST turnover

8  Section 18823

After “Division 83”, insert “or 86”.

9  Section 1951

Insert:

incidental valuable metal goods means goods:

 (a) acquired for the purposes of sale or exchange (but not for manufacture) in the ordinary course of *business; and

 (b) that consist wholly or partly of *valuable metal; and

 (c) in relation to which any of the following applies:

 (i) the goods are collectables or antiques, and the goods are not *precious metals;

 (ii) at the time of the acquisition, the market value of the goods exceeds the *valuable metal threshold;

 (iii) the goods are in a class determined by the Minister, by legislative instrument, for the purposes of this subparagraph.

10  Section 1951 (paragraphs (a) and (b) of the definition of secondhand goods)

Repeal the paragraphs, substitute:

 (a) goods (except *incidental valuable metal goods) to the extent that they consist of *valuable metal; or

11  Section 1951

Insert:

valuable metal means:

 (a) gold, silver or platinum; or

 (b) any other substance specified for the purposes of paragraph (d) of the definition of precious metal in this section.

valuable metal threshold has the meaning given by section 8610.

12  Application

(1) Division 86 of the A New Tax System (Goods and Services Tax) Act 1999, as inserted by this Schedule, applies in relation to supplies of goods made on or after 1 April 2017.

(2) The amendment of the definition of secondhand goods in section 1951 of the A New Tax System (Goods and Services Tax) Act 1999 made by this Schedule applies in relation to goods acquired on or after 1 April 2017.

 

 

 

 

[Minister’s second reading speech made in—

House of Representatives on 1 June 2017

Senate on 19 June 2017]

 

(104/17)

 

Overview

The Treasury Laws Amendment (GST Integrity) Act 2017 was enacted by the Parliament of Australia to address issues related to the taxation of valuable metals under the Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime. This Act, assented to on 26 June 2017, introduces amendments to the A New Tax System (Goods and Services Tax) Act 1999, primarily focusing on the imposition of GST on supplies of goods consisting wholly or partly of valuable metals. The policy objective behind this legislation is to ensure the integrity of the GST system by introducing a "reverse charge" mechanism, where the recipient of the supply, rather than the supplier, is liable for the GST on such goods, provided certain conditions are met. This Act aims to mitigate the risk of GST evasion in the valuable metals sector by making it clear who is responsible for the GST on these goods and ensuring compliance with GST obligations. The Treasury Laws Amendment (GST Integrity) Act 2017 includes provisions that clarify the circumstances under which the reverse charge applies, defining when the recipient of a supply is liable for the GST, and sets out the valuable metal threshold to determine when this liability arises. The Act also outlines the methods for calculating the market value of valuable metals and the role of the Commissioner in determining classes of supplies exempt from the reverse charge. By implementing these changes, the Act seeks to enhance the effectiveness of the GST system in the valuable metals industry, ensuring that the tax is appropriately levied and collected.

Scope and Application

The Treasury Laws Amendment (GST Integrity) Act 2017 applies to the taxation laws in Australia, specifically amending the A New Tax System (Goods and Services Tax) Act 1999. This Act is designed to enhance the integrity of the GST system by introducing a reverse charge mechanism for the supply of goods consisting wholly or partly of valuable metal, such as gold, silver, or platinum. This change places the liability to pay GST on the recipient of the supply, provided the recipient is registered or required to be registered for GST purposes and the market value of the goods does not exceed the valuable metal threshold. The valuable metal threshold is determined by the market value of the goods exceeding the market value of the valuable metal in the goods by a specified percentage or by the Commissioner through a legislative instrument. The Act also provides for the exclusion of certain classes of supplies from the reverse charge mechanism, which can be determined by the Commissioner. The Act commenced on 27 June 2017, and applies to all supplies of goods made on or after 1 April 2017, and to goods acquired on or after the same date for the purposes of the amended definition of second-hand goods. The Act extends its application through subordinate instruments, such as legislative instruments for determining the valuable metal threshold and classes of supplies excluded from the reverse charge mechanism.

Key Provisions

The Treasury Laws Amendment (GST Integrity) Act 2017 introduces several significant changes to the A New Tax System (Goods and Services Tax) Act 1999. It adds a new Division 86 to the 1999 Act, which pertains to the Goods and Services Tax (GST) implications of valuable metals (section 1). Division 86 specifies that the GST on taxable supplies of goods consisting wholly or partly of valuable metal can be "reverse charged" to the recipients, meaning the recipient, rather than the supplier, is responsible for paying the GST (section 86-5). This change applies unless the Commissioner determines, by legislative instrument, that the reverse charge does not apply to a specified class of supplies (section 86-5(2) and (3)). The Act imposes obligations on both suppliers and recipients of goods containing valuable metals. For recipients, if they are registered or required to be registered, they must pay the GST on supplies of goods consisting wholly or partly of valuable metal, provided the market value of the goods does not exceed a certain threshold (section 86-10). The supplier is not liable for the GST under these conditions (section 86-5). For suppliers, they must ensure that the recipient is aware of and complies with their GST obligations under Division 86. The Act also addresses the situation where the recipient is part of a GST group or a GST joint venture, stipulating that the GST liability falls to the representative member of the group or the joint venture operator, respectively (sections 86-15 and 86-20). The Act sets out clear penalties for non-compliance with the GST provisions regarding valuable metals. Breaches of the new provisions may lead to civil or criminal penalties, depending on the nature and severity of the offence. The Act does not specify maximum penalties within the text provided, but it generally refers to the existing penalty provisions within the A New Tax System (Goods and Services Tax) Act 1999, which could include substantial fines and, in the case of criminal offences, imprisonment. Non-compliance could also result in the disallowance of GST credits or refunds, and ongoing liability for unpaid GST.

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