Policy Directive Salary Packaging Summary This Policy Directive outlines the Salary Packaging Scheme for staff employed in the NSW Health Service. Document type Policy Directive Document number PD2018_044 Publication date 07 December 2018 Author branch Financial Services and Asset Management Branch contact (02) 9391 9273 Review date 07 December 2021 Policy manual Not applicable File number H18/41237 Status Review Functional group Corporate Administration - Finance Applies to Local Health Districts, Board Governed Statutory Health Corporations, Specialty Network Governed Statutory Health Corporations, Affiliated Health Organisations, NSW Health Pathology, Public Health System Support Division, Community Health Centres, NSW Ambulance Service, Public Hospitals Distributed to Ministry of Health, Public Health System, NSW Ambulance Service, Health Associations Unions Audience All staff that are eligible to salary package Secretary, NSW Health This Policy Directive may be varied, withdrawn or replaced at any time. Compliance with this directive is mandatory for NSW Health and is a condition of subsidy for public health organisations. POLICY STATEMENT SALARY PACKAGING PURPOSE Pursuant to Section 57A of the Fringe Benefits Tax Assessment Act 1986 (“FBT Act”) government employees whose duties are performed exclusively in or in connection with a public hospital, or employees who are predominantly involved in connection with the provision of ambulance services are eligible to be provided with fringe benefits which are exempt from FBT up to a threshold cap (“the exemption status”). Salary packaging is a tax effective means, for an employee to utilise the exemption status, whereby the employee agrees to forego part of their future remuneration in exchange for non-cash benefits. Permanent full time and part time employees, temporary employees, and employees employed under specific grants or funds for periods in excess of 12 months who work in agencies of the NSW Health Service which meet the exemption status under the FBT Act may be eligible to enter this scheme. Casual employees would usually be ineligible to join the scheme given the limitations of casual engagement; however casuals may salary package at the discretion of the Health agency based on the work patterns established and the administrative policy of the Health agency. The scheme also applies to Health Executives employed in the Health Executive Service who meet the exemption status under s 57A of the FBT Act. The eligibility of employees of other Health agencies is determined by their role in the relevant organisation, and whether they meet the exemption status under s 57A of the FBT Act. Board members and/or Chairperson are considered to be officeholders for tax purposes and are not employees. As such, Board members and/or Chairperson are ineligible to join the scheme. MANDATORY REQUIREMENTS Entry into the salary packaging scheme is voluntary. Employees who choose not to salary package will continue to receive 100% of their salary in cash. Employees who participate in the salary packaging scheme may exit at any time should their circumstances change, subject to meeting the required period of notice and any payout obligations, e.g. under novated lease arrangements for a motor vehicle. Those choosing to join the scheme can select benefits from the menu at Section 5 of the Procedures Document. An employee can devote up to 100% of their salary to either salary sacrifice to superannuation or to salary packaging (subject to the exemption cap), or to a combination of both. PD2018_044 Issue date: December-2018 Page 1 of 3 POLICY STATEMENT IMPLEMENTATION Procedures for salary packaging Please refer to the Salary Packaging Procedures Document for further information about the implementation of this policy. “Salary” for salary packaging purposes For the purpose of salary packaging, salary is an employee’s substantive base salary as at the date of commencement of each package year, and excludes higher duties allowances. The substantive salary is the award salary. Some allowances may be included in award salary, but this will depend on the award. ‘Salary’ is defined in the salary packaging clauses of NSW Health Awards as being: the award salary as expressed in the salaries clause of the award, the award salary as though the employee was not salary packaging, and salary as also including ‘approved employment benefits’ which encompass the benefits packaged, the packaging administration fee, and the employer’s share of tax savings. Where an employee decides to participate in both salary sacrifice for superannuation and salary packaging, the amount of salary to be used for salary sacrifice for superannuation is deducted first from the employee’s pre-tax salary. Salary packaging is then based on the salary after the amount for salary sacrificing for superannuation has been deducted. The value of the salary packaging benefit(s), the employer’s 50% share of the savings, and the 50% share of the administration fee, is deducted from the employee’s remaining salary. Administration fees Each Health agency will charge each participating employee an annual fee for administering their package which will be deducted on a pro rata basis for each period. The cost of the administration fee, including GST, will be shared equally by the agency and the employee. In all instances, the Health agency will require the employee to salary package for the administration fee liability. In other words, the employer recovers 50% of the administration fee from the employee. An employee may review and alter their salary packaging arrangements at the end of each package year (usually 31 March) at no extra cost. If an employee elects to change their packaging arrangements during the packaging year, they may incur an alteration fee. PD2018_044 Issue date: December-2018 Page 2 of 3 POLICY STATEMENT External Salary Packging Administration Provider Health agencies that elect to outsource the administration of the salary packaging scheme are to elect an external salary packaging provider from the NSW Health Salary Packaging Administration Service Panel. Health Agencies that engage an external salary packaging administration provider must ensure that a Salary Packaging Relationship/ Liaison Manager is appointed with the appropriate skill and experience to manage the external salary packaging administration provider and ensure compliance with this policy and other legislation obligations including tax. REVISION HISTORY Version Approved by Amendment notes December 2018 Deputy First Policy Directive. (PD2018_044) Secretary & CFO, Finance and Asset Management ATTACHMENTS 1. Salary Packaging: Procedures. PD2018_044 Issue date: December-2018 Page 3 of 3 Salary Packaging PROCEDURES Issue date: December-2018 PD2018_044 Salary Packaging PROCEDURES CONTENTS 1 BACKGROUND ........................................................................................................................ 1 1.1 About this document ......................................................................................................... 1 1.2 What is FBT? .................................................................................................................... 1 1.3 What is salary packaging? ................................................................................................ 2 1.4 Legal and legislative framework ....................................................................................... 2 2 NSW HEALTH AND FBT ......................................................................................................... 3 2.1 Exemption status .............................................................................................................. 3 2.2 FBT.................................................................................................................................... 3 2.3 Reportable fringe benefits ................................................................................................ 4 3 POLICY OVERVIEW ................................................................................................................ 4 3.1 Who is eligible to access this scheme? ............................................................................ 4 3.2 Voluntary participation ...................................................................................................... 5 3.3 Salary sacrifice to superannuation ................................................................................... 5 3.4 “Salary” for salary packaging purposes ............................................................................ 5 3.5 Limit on threshold per employee ...................................................................................... 6 3.6 Administration fees ........................................................................................................... 7 3.7 Goods and Services Tax (GST) and FBT ........................................................................ 7 3.8 Workers compensation ..................................................................................................... 9 3.9 Cessation of employment or change in employment circumstances .............................. 9 3.10 Changing the agreed salary package............................................................................. 11 3.11 Commonwealth Paid Parental Leave ............................................................................. 11 3.12 Financial planning ..........................................................................................................