In case you haven’t had the time to wade through the details, here is a summary of the recent Federal Budget…

The Federal Treasurer, Jim Chalmers, is promising that inflation will decline by 0.75% as a direct result of the  2024-25 Federal Budget initiatives including energy relief for all households, a boost to Commonwealth Rent Assistance, and the freezing of the maximum co-payment on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme.

This is a pre-election budget for the people with everyone getting a little something to ease cost of living pressures. Like the Price is Right gameshow, it will all come down to the price paid at the checkout. If the consumer price index (CPI) returns to target by the end of 2024 off the back of the Budget initiatives as the Government anticipates, the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) may be inclined to reduce interest rates.However, at this stage, the RBA is not expecting inflation to return to the target range of 2-3% until the second half of 2025, and to the midpoint in 2026.

The 2023-24 surplus has increased to $9.3bn but is expected to decline to a deficit of $28.3bn in 2024-25, driven primarily by the Stage 3 tax cuts.

For business, the Government is picking winners through targeted public investment with its Future Made in Australia Framework that they are betting will pave the way for private investment in net zero transformation and the strengthening of Australia’s domestic economic resilience.

For small and medium business, there is a little but not a lot – an extension of the $20k instant asset write-off until 30 June 2025 and a $325 rebate to eligible businesses towards 2024-25 energy bills.

For foreign residents, the capital gains tax (CGT) regime will be amended to broaden the type of assets subject to CGT and introduce a modified 365-day principal asset testing period.

Key measures:

• Previously announced Stage 3 tax cuts
• $300 energy bill relief for all Australian households and $325 for eligible small businesses – applied as an automatic quarterly credit.
• Student HELP debts will be cut by changing the way indexation is calculated. From 1 June 2023, it will be the lower of the CPI or the Wage Price Index (WPI), reducing the debt accumulated by more than 3 million Australians when the CPI spiked to 7.1%.
• Increase to the Commonwealth rent assistance maximum rates by 10% from 20 September 2024.
• One year freeze on the maximum Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) patient co-payment for Medicare card holders and a five-year freeze for pensioners and other concession cardholders.

Those with large superannuation balances will be disappointed that the 30% tax on super earnings on balances above $3 million remains in place, this is set to commence from 1 July 2025.

INDIVIDUALS & FAMILIES

Personal income tax cuts confirmed from 1 July, 2024

As previously announced, the Government has legislated permanent tax cuts for all Australian taxpayers from 1 July 2024.

Relative to the previous Stage 3 plan, the redesigned cuts broaden the benefits of the tax cut by focussing on individuals with taxable income below $150,000.

For rates, see Personal income tax rates from 1 July 2024.

Medicare levy low-income thresholds increase from 1 July, 2024

The Medicare levy low-income thresholds will be increased for singles, families, and seniors and pensioners from 1 July 2023.

The increases to the thresholds take account of recent movements in the CPI so that low-income taxpayers generally continue to be exempt from paying the Medicare levy.

$300 energy relief for households from 1 July, 2024

Households will receive a credit of $300 on their energy bills credited as automatic quarterly instalments across 2024-25.

Energy relief will also be provided to eligible small businesses in the form of a $325 rebate.

Costing $3.5bn over three years from 2023-24, the measure extends and expands the Energy Bill Relief Fund.

Capping indexation of HELP debts from Loan accounts that existed on 1 June, 2023

As previously announced, the Government will cap the HELP indexation rate to be the lower of either the CPI or the Wage Price Index (WPI) with effect from 1 June 2023. The change will apply to all HELP, VET Student Loans, Australian Apprenticeship Support Loans and other student support loan accounts that existed on 1 June 2023.

By changing the calculation of HELP indexation from 1 June 2023, the indexation rate is reduced from:

• 7.1% to 3.2% in 2023, and
• 4.7% to around 4% in 2024.

The change resolves an issue for more than 3 million Australians with a HELP debt when the CPI indexation rate spiked to 7.1% last year.

An individual with an average HELP debt of $26,500 will see around $1,200 wiped from their outstanding HELP loans this year, pending the passage of legislation.

Estimated indexation for HELP debts

*Actual credit amount will vary depending on individual circumstances including repayments made during the year. All HELP debts that were indexed in 2023 and are subject to indexation on 1 June 2024 will receive an indexation credit.

Superannuation on paid parental leave from 1 July, 2025

As previously announced, from 1 July 2025 superannuation will be paid on Paid Parental Leave payments from 1 July 2025.

Eligible parents will receive an additional payment based on the superannuation guarantee (i.e. 12% of their PPL payments), as a contribution to their superannuation fund.

This payment is in addition to the changes that saw families provided with an extra two weeks of leave (22 weeks total), which will increase to 24 weeks from July 2025 and 26 weeks from July 2026 (see Paid Parental Leave Amendment (More Support for Working Families) Bill 2023, Royal Assent 20 March 2024).

Increasing Commonwealth rent assistance from 20 September, 2024

The Commonwealth rent assistance maximum rates will increase by 10% from 20 September 2024.

Recipients of Centrelink/Department of Veterans Affairs payments and those receiving family tax benefit may also receive rent assistance if they are paying rent or other rent like payments over a minimum fortnightly threshold.

The current maximum fortnightly rates are $188.20 for a single person and $177.20 combined for a couple.

The measure will cost $1.9 billion over five years from 2023–24 (and $0.5 billion per year ongoing from 2028–29), and builds on the 15% increase in September 2023, taking the maximum rates over 40% higher than in May 2022.

Improving Aged Care support

The Government will provide funding of $2.2 billion over the next five years to deliver key aged care reforms and to continue to implement recommendations from the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety.

This funding includes the release of an additional 24,100 home care packages in 2024-25.

The Government has also agreed to defer the commencement date of the new Aged Care Act to 1 July 2025.

The Government is currently in the middle of considering and implementing changes to the way aged care is funded on the back of the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety report released in 2021.

This will likely impact home care and residential care fees in the future. Generally, with past reform we have seen existing residents and home care recipients ‘grandfathered’ under the rules at the time they entered.

Increased flexibility for Carer Payment from 20 March, 2025

Currently, to receive the Centrelink Carer Payment, the care giver is required to not be involved in work, study or training for more than 25 hours per week. This is to reflect the requirement that to receive this payment the care giver should be providing the care recipient with ‘constant care’.

From 20 March 2025, the existing 25 hours per week will be amended to 100 hours over four weeks.

This limit will no longer capture study, volunteering and travel time so will only apply to employment.

In addition:

• Carer Payment recipients exceeding the participation limit or their allowable temporary cessation of care days will have their payments suspended for up to six months, rather than cancelled.
• Recipients will also be able to use single temporary cessation of care days where they exceed the participation limit, rather than the current seven day minimum.

Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme co-payments from 1 January, 2024

The Government will ensure that the cost of medicines remains low by freezing indexation:

• PBS general co-payments to not be indexed between 1 January 2025 and 31 December 2025 (inclusive), with indexation resuming on 1 January 2026
• PBS concessional co-payments to not be indexed between 1 January 2025 and 31 December 2029 (inclusive), with indexation resuming on 1 January 2030

The $1 optional discount available on patient co-payments for subsidised prescriptions will be reduced each year by the relevant notional indexation amount until the $1 discount has been reduced from $1 to zero.

From 1 January 2024, you may pay up to $31.60 for most PBS medicines, or $7.70 if you have a concession card. The Australian Government pays the remaining cost (with the exception of brand premiums and certain other allowable charges).

The information contained herein is provided on the understanding that it neither represents nor is intended to be advice or that the authors or distributor is engaged in rendering legal or professional advice. Whilst every care has been taken in its preparation no person should act specifically on the basis of the material contained herein. If assistance is required, professional advice should be obtained.

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