DATE OF ISSUE: 18 June 1993
ISSUE OF STATEMENTS OF SERVICE PENSION AND ALLOWANCES AND GROUP CERTIFICATES
Purpose
1. The purpose of this Instruction is to advise Branch Offices on the July 1993 issue of Statements of Service Pension and Allowances (Tax Statements), Group Certificates and Telephone Allowance leaflets.
References
2. Tax Statements are briefly mentioned in General Orders Service Pension (GOSP) under The General, system path GOSP/TAXATION/TAXATION INSTALMENTS.
Target Group
3. Only those clients who have a taxable pension amount on the tax database, but who do not have tax deductions made from their pension, will receive a Tax Statement. This includes students in receipt of Education Allowance.
4. Those clients who have tax deductions made from their pension will receive a normal Group Certificate (ATO form) in accordance with paragraphs 6 to 8.
New Tax Statement Form
5. A new Tax Statement form will be used this year (see attached). Any old stationery is to be recycled and not used for re-printing lost or spoilt Tax Statements. Prior to 8 July 1993, sufficient copies of the new form will be sent to each state to cover contingencies.
Normal Group Certificates
6. The processing of group certificates will remain the same as for previous years. All Pensioners who have Tax instalments taken out of their pension will receive a Group Certificate.
7. All states are to obtain Group Certificates from the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) and forward them to Benefits Systems Management & Support by COB 7 June 1993, as previously requested.
8. The printing of group certificates will take place at Ferntree (NCC). These forms will then be sent to Branch Offices for manual action.
Tax Database Integrity
9. The annual data integrity check of the tax database will be run prior to the processing run (on 19/20 June).
Telephone Allowance Leaflet
10. All clients eligible for the quarterly payment of Telephone Allowance (TA) due in June, will be computer checked to determine whether they are also due a Tax Statement. If so and they have not previously been advised of TA in the June Advices, they will be sent a TA leaflet with their Tax Statement. Sample attached.
11. Please refer to the Departmental Instruction numer B30/ 93 covering June 1993 Advices, for details on TA advices.
Printing and Despatch
12. R. L. Polk are contracted to print and despatch the majority of this year's Tax Statements and TA leaflets, for lodgement with Australia Post by 5 July 1993. The NCC will forward Group Certificates to Branch Offices for normal processing. Branch Offices will be responsible for making a decision on the despatch of mail to some clients, as detailed below.
Exception Handling
13. A schedule and associated tax statements will be produced and forwarded to the appropriate Branch Office for action, for all clients:
paid by special register;
deceased,
where address is unknown; and
who have an overseas address recorded.
14. A separate schedule will be forwarded to Branch Offices, for manual action, in cases where a tax statement is due to a client but it cannot be generated.
Carers
15. Branch Offices will manually process non spouse carers, as per current practice, since no computerised tax records exist for carers.
Timetable
DateEvent
Thurs 29 April 1993 — Annual Tax DB integrity run.
Mon 31 May — Second Tax DB integrity run.
Fri 18 June Cutoff for pay period 26 (24 June), at
usual time.
Sat 19 June — Third Tax DB integrity run.
Fri 19 to Sun 20 June Tax Processing run.
Mon 21 June Cartridges to Polk to print Tax
Statements.
Mon 21 June NCC to distribute Group Certificates to
Branches.
Tues 22 June — Polk to commence personalising Tax
Statements and enveloping with TA
leaflets.
Tues 22 June to 5 July — R.L. Polk to progressively lodge with
Australia Post.
Wed 23 June to cutoff for pay 28.BO action on exceptions.
Contact Officers
16.The Benefits Program (PD & I) contact officer for Tax Statements is Trevor Astle Telephone (06) 289 6386, while Murray Chynoweth on phone (06) 289 6799 is the contact officer for any Group Certificate query.
HARRY STEPHEN
ACTING ASSISTANT SECRETARY
INCOME SUPPORT BRANCH
THIS ATTACHMENT HAS BEEN RE-KEYED TO ENABLE IT TO BE LOADED ONTO THE GENERAL
ATTACHMENT A
ORIGINAL
Statement of Service Pension and Allowances (Group Certificate)
Tax Code: .Group No. .Reference No. .
Payment from .
Payment to: .
Days exempt from the .
Medicare Levy .
.If you do NOT have to lodge an Income Tax Return, keep both the ORIGINAL and DUPLICATE.
.If you DO have to lodge a Return, pin the ORIGINAL to the Return form and keep the DUPLICATE.
DUPLICATE
Statement of Service Pension and Allowances (Group Certificate)
Tax Code: .Group No: .Reference No: .
Payment from: .
Payment to: .
Days exempt from the .
Medicare Levy .
.If you do NOT have to lodge an Income Tax Fleturn, keep both the ORIGINAL and DUPLICATE.
.If you DO have to lodge a Return, pin the ORIGINAL to the Return form and keep the DUPLICATE.
NOTES
Tax Instalments
If your income exceeds the basic limit, you can arrange with the Department of Veterans' Affairs to deduct tax instalments on a fortnightly basis to avoid payment of tax in a lump sum.
Remote Area Allowance (RAA)
If details of RAA have been included in this Statement it is not to be included in your total taxable income. It will however affect the amount of any Zone Rebate to which you may be entitled under the Income Tax Assessment Act.
Further Assistance
Pension enquiries should be directed to the Department of Veterans Affairs. Taxation enquiries should be addressed to your local Taxation Office.
Medicare Levy Exemption
The number of Medicare Levy Exemption Days is shown on the form.
Telephone Allowance
The next payment of your Telephone Allowance will be made on 8 July 1993.
Telephone Allowance is payable quarterly at the following rates:
World War 1 rate (only for veterans) $41.30
General rate $13.20
Married rate (each) $6.60
Remember, you must inforrn us if you cease to be a telephone subscriber.
Telephone Allowance
The next payment of your Telephone Allowance will be made on 8 July 1993.
Telephone Allowance is payable quarterly at the following rates:
World War 1 rate (only for veterans) $41.30
General rate $13.20
Married rate (each) $6.60
Remember, you must inform us if you cease to be a telephone subscriber.
Telephone Allowance
The next payment of your Telephone Allowance will be made on 8 July 1993.
Telephone Allowance is payable quarterly at the following rates:
World War 1 rate (only for veterans) $41.30
General rate $13.20
Married rate (each) $6.60
Remember, you must inform us if you cease to be a telephone subscriber.