2 October 2020

Boost for skills training with Fringe Benefits Tax exemption

Note

Joint media release with
The Hon Josh Frydenberg MP
Treasurer

The Morrison Government will provide an exemption from Fringe Benefits Tax (FBT) for employer-provided retraining and reskilling, for employees who are redeployed to a different role in the business. The exemption will apply from the date of announcement.

Removing costly barriers to training as the economy rebuilds is essential to ensure Australian employees have the opportunity to reskill or retrain for the jobs that will come back as the economy reopens.

Currently, FBT is payable if an employer provides training to its employees that is not sufficiently connected to their current employment. For example, a business that retrains their sales assistant in web design to redeploy them to an online marketing role in the business can get hit with FBT. By removing FBT, employers will be encouraged to help workers transition to new employment opportunities within or outside their business.

The exemption will not extend to retraining acquired by way of a salary packaging arrangement or training provided through Commonwealth supported places at universities, which already receive a benefit.

In addition, the Government will consult on potential changes to the current arrangements for workers that undertake training at their own expense. The current rules, which limit deductions to training related to current employment, may act as a disincentive for Australians to retrain and reskill to support their future employment needs.

These changes will provide further support for training, building on our $1 billion JobTrainer program which will provide up to an additional 340,700 training places across the country for school leavers as well as provide opportunities for job seekers to upskill and reskill and get back to work as quickly as possible.

The Government will continue to help businesses and their employees to successfully adapt so that they can bounce back on the other side of this crisis.