What is taxable or exempt?
This checklist provides guidance on the payroll tax treatment of certain items.
Remuneration item | Taxable or exempt |
---|---|
Accommodation (housing and other accommodation provided by the employer) | Determined in accordance with the Fringe Benefits Tax Assessment Act 1986 (Cth) and our Fringe Benefits Ruling |
Accommodation allowances | Taxable under certain conditions |
Adoption leave | Exempt (up to 14 weeks) |
Agency-supplied staff | Taxable under certain conditions |
Allowances | Taxable under certain conditions |
Annual leave | Taxable |
Annual leave paid on termination | Taxable |
Apprentice wages (paid by approved Group Training Organisations) | Exempt under certain conditions |
Apprentice wages | Taxable unless paid to re-employed apprentices or trainees from July 2016 |
Backpay | Taxable |
Benefits | Determined in accordance with the Fringe Benefits Tax Assessment Act 1986 (Cth) and our Fringe Benefits Ruling |
Board and quarters | Determined in accordance with the Fringe Benefits Tax Assessment Act 1986 (Cth) and our Fringe Benefits Ruling |
Bona-fide redundancy payments (tax-free component) | Exempt |
Bonuses | Taxable |
Car allowances | Taxable under certain conditions |
Car parking | Determined in accordance with the Fringe Benefits Tax Assessment Act 1986 (Cth) and our Fringe Benefits Ruling |
Clothing allowances | Taxable |
Commissions | Taxable |
Consultants' fees | Taxable under certain conditions |
Contractor payments | Taxable under certain conditions |
Credit cards provided to employees | Determined in accordance with the Fringe Benefits Tax Assessment Act 1986 (Cth) and our Fringe Benefits Ruling |
Debt waivers (waiver of debt provided by the employer to an employee) | Determined in accordance with the Fringe Benefits Tax Assessment Act 1986 (Cth) and our Fringe Benefits Ruling |
Defence Force payments | Exempt |
Directors' fees | Taxable |
Dirt allowances | Taxable |
Discounted staff purchases | Determined in accordance with the Fringe Benefits Tax Assessment Act 1986 (Cth) and our Fringe Benefits Ruling |
Domestic/family violence leave | Taxable |
Education expenses paid by the employer for an employee | Determined in accordance with the Fringe Benefits Tax Assessment Act 1986 (Cth) and our Fringe Benefits Ruling |
Employer-funded (pre-income tax) superannuation contributions | Taxable |
Employment agency personnel | Taxable under certain conditions |
Entertainment allowances | Taxable |
Footwear allowances | Taxable |
Fringe benefits | Determined in accordance with the Fringe Benefits Tax Assessment Act 1986 (Cth) and our Fringe Benefits Ruling |
Gifts provided by the employer to an employee | Determined in accordance with the Fringe Benefits Tax Assessment Act 1986 (Cth) and our Fringe Benefits Ruling |
Gross wages | Taxable |
Health insurance paid by the employer on behalf of an employee | Determined in accordance with the Fringe Benefits Tax Assessment Act 1986 (Cth) and our Fringe Benefits Ruling |
Holiday pay | Taxable |
Jury service payments by the employer to an employee | Taxable |
Leave loading | Taxable |
Living away from home allowances | Determined in accordance with the Fringe Benefits Tax Assessment Act 1986 (Cth) and our Fringe Benefits Ruling |
Loans (interest free/low interest) | Determined in accordance with the Fringe Benefits Tax Assessment Act 1986 (Cth) and our Fringe Benefits Ruling |
Long service leave | Taxable |
Make-up pay | Taxable |
Maternity and adoption leave (until 1 July 2019) | Exempt |
Meal allowances | Taxable |
Meals provided by the employer for an employee | Determined in accordance with the Fringe Benefits Tax Assessment Act 1986 (Cth) and our Fringe Benefits Ruling |
Motor vehicle allowances | Taxable under certain conditions |
Motor vehicles provided by the employer for an employee | Determined in accordance with the Fringe Benefits Tax Assessment Act 1986 (Cth) and our Fringe Benefits Ruling |
Options | Taxable under certain conditions |
Outworker payments | Taxable under certain conditions |
Overtime | Taxable |
Overtime meal allowances | Taxable |
Paid parental leave (funded by the Federal Government) | Exempt |
Parental leave paid by employer (from 1 July 2019) | Exempt |
Paternity leave (until 1 July 2019) | Taxable |
Pay in lieu of notice | Taxable |
Personal services income | Taxable under certain conditions |
Piece-work payments | Taxable |
Prizes provided by employer to an employee | Determined in accordance with the Fringe Benefits Tax Assessment Act 1986 (Cth) and our Fringe Benefits Ruling |
Professional advice provided or funded by the employer | Determined in accordance with the Fringe Benefits Tax Assessment Act 1986 (Cth) and our Fringe Benefits Ruling |
Redundancy payments | Taxable under certain conditions |
Reimbursements (business expenses) | Taxable under certain conditions |
Relocation payments | Determined in accordance with the Fringe Benefits Tax Assessment Act 1986 (Cth) and our Fringe Benefits Ruling |
Rental subsidy allowances | Taxable |
Representation allowances | Taxable |
School fees paid by the employer on behalf of an employee | Determined in accordance with the Fringe Benefits Tax Assessment Act 1986 (Cth) and our Fringe Benefits Ruling |
Share schemes | Taxable |
Shift allowances | Taxable |
Sick pay | Taxable |
Site allowances | Taxable |
Staff discounts | Determined in accordance with the Fringe Benefits Tax Assessment Act 1986 (Cth) and our Fringe Benefits Ruling |
Subcontractors | Taxable under certain conditions |
Subscriptions paid by the employer for an employee | Determined in accordance with the Fringe Benefits Tax Assessment Act 1986 (Cth) and our Fringe Benefits Ruling |
Superannuation contributions (pre-income tax/employer) | Taxable |
TAC payments | Exempt |
Taxi fares paid by the employer for an employee | Determined in accordance with the Fringe Benefits Tax Assessment Act 1986 (Cth) and our fringe benefits ruling |
Telephone account payments paid by the employer for an employee | Determined in accordance with the Fringe Benefits Tax Assessment Act 1986 (Cth) and our Fringe Benefits Ruling |
Termination payments | |
Taxable | |
Taxable | |
|
Exempt |
Taxable | |
Tool allowances | Taxable |
Trainee wages | Taxable |
Trainee wages (re-employed trainees or apprentices) from 1 July 2016 | Exempt |
Travel (free or subsidised) | Determined in accordance with the Fringe Benefits Tax Assessment Act 1986 (Cth) and our Fringe Benefits Ruling |
Travel allowances | Taxable under certain conditions |
Volunteer firefighters and other emergency workers (wages to employees absent from work to volunteer for firefighting or emergency operations) | Exempt |
Uniform allowances | Taxable |
Vouchers provided by the employer to an employee | Determined in accordance with the Fringe Benefits Tax Assessment Act 1986 (Cth) and our Fringe Benefits Ruling |
Workers compensation payments | Exempt |