The Australian Government announced in the 2016-17 and 2017-18 Budgets that it would implement the Organisation for Economic Co operation and Development’s (OECD) rules aimed at eliminating double non-taxation benefits from hybrid mismatch arrangements which exploit differences in the tax treatment of an entity or instrument under the laws of two or more tax jurisdictions.
On the 24 November 2017 the Government released exposure draft legislation and explanatory memorandum for public consultation.
On the same date the Treasurer announced that the Government would adopt the OECD’s recommendations to address branch mismatch arrangements and would develop a targeted integrity rule to address arrangements used to circumvent the hybrid mismatch rules.
The Australian Government is seeking the community’s views on revised exposure draft legislation that incorporates the previously released exposure draft legislation as well as rules to address branch mismatch arrangements and to introduce the announced integrity rule. The closing date for submissions is 4 April 2018.
The revised draft legislation will apply broadly to related parties, members of a control group and structured arrangements and is designed to neutralize any hybrid double non-taxation benefits by either denying deductions or including amounts in assessable income.
