Page 11 - Understanding Aged Care
P. 11

UNDERSTANDING AGED CARE





                    What are the tax implications?                  From 1 July 2019 Flexible Income (Immediate
                                                                    payments), Flexible Income (Deferred payments),
                    The tax treatment of an annuity usually depends   Enhanced Income (Immediate payments) and
                    on whether you purchased the annuity with       Enhanced Income (Deferred payments) will be
                    ordinary or superannuation money and the        assessed as follows:
                    relationship between the purchase price, term
                    and residual value of the annuity.                    Assets test             Income

                    The annuity income will be assessable income.   60% of the investment
                    However, if it is a lifetime annuity or has an   amount until age 84   60% of the regular
                    RCV less than 100% this is reduced by a tax     (minimum of five years).   payments received*.
                    deductible amount which represents the portion   30% of the investment
                                                                    amount thereafter.
                    of each payment that represents part of the
                    capital purchase price returned to you.         This is general information only, and we recommend
                                                                    you get advice regarding your individual circumstances.
                    Annuities purchased with superannuation         Your local Centerlink or Department of Veterans’ Affairs
                    money are tax-free from age 60 or have a 15%    office can help answer any question you may have.
                    tax offset applied at younger ages (assuming    Your financial adviser can also help.
                    paid from taxed sources).
                    What are the Centrelink /                       What are the Estate planning
                    DVA implications?                               implications?


                    Annuities are assessable under the Centrelink/  If you nominated a reversionary beneficiary, the
                    DVA income and assets tests. This strategy      annuity income payments will continue to be
                    explanation applies to annuities purchased from    paid to that person for the rest of the term or
                    1st July 2019. Further assets test concessions   their lifetime.
                    may apply to certain annuities purchased before
                    that date.                                      If instead you just nominated a beneficiary,
                                                                    the annuity is cancelled and the current asset
                    From 1 July 2019                                value (less any exit fees) is paid as a lump
                                                                    sum. A beneficiary can be a person or the legal
                    New means testing rules apply to an Annuity     representative of the estate however, some
                    that commences on or after 1 July 2019.         annuities may only allow the legal representative
                    Grandfathering provisions will apply to Annuities   to receive the funds.
                    that commence prior to this date meaning
                    that they will continue to be assessed using a   Nominating a beneficiary or reversionary may
                    deduction amount (as explained above).          help to keep the annuity away from estate
                                                                    disputes. If the legal representative has been
                                                                    nominated the annuity value is distributed in
                                                                    accordance with the provisions of the Will.

                                                                    Any income component paid to a beneficiary,
                                                                    reversionary or estate is taxable income to
                                                                    that entity.












                                                                11
   6   7   8   9   10   11   12   13   14   15   16