Living away from home allowance (LAFHA) benefit workpaper
note
The Fringe Benefits Tax Assessment Act has been changed in relation to the Living Away From Home Allowance (LAFHA) and you need to speak with your tax advisor regarding the implications for your organisation.
To open the LAFHA workpaper, select
Benefits
, then LAFHA
from the navigation bar. The Workpaper Interface
ONESOURCE Fringe Benefit Tax provides several features that help you find information and let you organise your workspace so that it works best for you.
Customising the Grid
Some columns are hidden by default, and you can select the columns you want to show or hide. To show a hidden columns select the gear icon 
in the upper right corner and check the checkboxes next to the columns you want to show.
in the upper right corner and check the checkboxes next to the columns you want to show. You can also move and resize columns.
Toolbar Ribbon
The icons on the toolbar ribbon above the workpaper provide options for working with the workpaper.
- Delete:Select one or more rows in a workpaper and use theDeletebutton to delete individual rows.
- Delete All: Use theDelete Allbutton to delete all rows on all pages of this workpaper.
- Upload:Use theUploadbutton to upload the workpaper.
- Select All:Use theSelect Allbutton to select all rows in the workpaper.
- Save Layout:If you have customised the order of your columns, or have shown or hidden certain columns, you can use theSave Layoutbutton to lock these choices.
- Reset Layout:If you want to revert to the default column ordering and display, use theReset Layoutbutton.
- Attachments:You can select theAttachmentsbutton to attach document, such as supporting evidence or reference information. You can also use this button to download or delete and attachment.
- Export:Use theExportbutton to export workpaper data.
- Refresh:Data is validated as you enter and is saved when you select theRefreshbutton or move to the next row.
- Recalculate:The software automatically calculates and applies in-house benefit reductions, exemptions and rebates to individual benefits, and displays these in the benefit workpapers dynamically. If you have made changes to a workpaper, select theRecalculatebutton to force recalculation of changes to this benefit only.noteTheRecalculatebutton update only the current workpaper. You can use theRecalculate Alloption in the main navigation to recalculate all workpaper data.
- Freeze Columns:You can freeze columns to the left of view by selecting a column and then selecting theFreeze Columnsbutton. All rows to the left of the selected row will stay in view while all columns to the right will move with the scroll bar.
- Audit:Select a row, then select theAuditbutton to show any manual changes that have been made to the workpaper. The Audit Calc history window shows the ID of the user who made the change, the date and time, and the old and new values.
- Add/Edit Comments:Select theAdd/Edit Commentsbutton to add a comment to a workpaper, or change an existing one.
Workpaper details
Workpaper tab details
Column heading | Description |
|---|---|
Employee | The Employee ID is mandatory and needs to exist in the Employee workpaper. Includes First Name and Last Name. Required note
For non-reportable benefits the ID is not mandatory. |
Description | A short description of the benefit provided (maximum 255 characters) |
Start date of agreement | The date is for historical purposes. You need to include the original date the LAFHA agreement commenced as this date will roll forward to the next FBT period and may be used to determine whether the 12-month time limit has been exceeded. Concessional tax treatment is only available for LAFHA provided for up to 12 months unless you are a FIFO/DIDO employee. Required |
Contract Variation date | Defaults to the Start date of agreement. Enter a later date if agreement has been materially altered or varied. The date cannot be later than the end of the current FBT year. Transitional rules no longer apply. |
Rules | Defaults to the applicable rules based on the dates entered. |
Start date for FBT year | Defaults as the first day of the FBT year or Start date of agreement if later. Otherwise, enter the date LAFHA started to be paid in this FBT year. Must fall between the first month immediately prior to this FBT year and the end of this FBT period. |
End Date | If LAFH allowance is ongoing leave blank. LAFHA with an end date will not roll forward to the next FBT period. Must fall between the Start Date and the end of the first month after this FBT year. |
Period LAFHA was provided | Calculated number of days between the ‘Start date for FBT year’ and the ‘End Date’ or the end of the current FBT period. The value can be edited. |
Days LAFHA was not provided | If the period of LAFHA has a break (the employee returns home for a short period), enter the number of days the LAFHA was not provided. |
Days LAFHA paid | Calculated number of days in LAFH period based on 'Period LAFHA was provided' less 'Days LAFHA was not provided'. |
FIFO/DIDO employee? | Select Yes or No for a Fly-in Fly-out or Drive-in Drive-out employee. When locked and greyed out the column is not applicable. |
FIFO/DIDO declaration required | A display of Yes or No will show for the declaration required based on information populated in previous columns. This declaration is for an employee working on a FIFO or DIDO basis which applies from 1 Oct 2012. |
Employee expenses declaration required | A display of Yes or No will show for the declaration required based on information populated in previous columns. This declaration is for an employee with accommodation and food or drink expenses from 1 Oct 2012. Note although this will display as Yes for these employees, this is not necessary where the employee has provided their employer with the documentary evidence of the accommodation and food or drink expenses. |
Employee with ; Australian home | A display of Yes or No will show for the declaration required based on information populated in previous columns. This declaration is for an employee who lives away from where they reside in Australia from 1 Oct 2012. |
Required declarations completed? | This is No by default. Select Yes or No to indicate you have received the appropriate declaration(s) highlighted in the previous declaration columns which are displayed as “Yes”. If you select 'No' the 'Value of Reductions' will be nil and the whole amount of the LAFHA will be taxable. Note: The relevant declarations required are linked to the employee on this row. You can use the declaration merge-print options to generate the appropriate declarations. |
No of Adults (aged 12 or over) | Optional, but either 'No of Adults' or 'No of Children' must be greater than 0. |
No of Children (under age 12) | |
Country | Defaults as Australia. Enter the country where the LAFHA is being provided. Note: if the country is not listed select ‘Not listed’. |
Total LAFHA Paid | Total LAFHA paid during the current FBT year Required |
Accommodation Paid (Total) | The amount of the 'Total LAFHA Paid' that was reasonable compensation for accommodation costs. |
Taxable Accommodation | If accommodation allowance is paid which is considered "excessive", enter the taxable amount here. |
Food Component Paid (Total) | The amount of the 'Total LAFHA Paid' that was for food. |
Adjusted reasonable food compensation (per week) | Defaults to the commissioner’s rates. Can be adjusted to the actual costs incurred that are substantiated by the employee. Note: it is not envisaged that the 'adjusted' amount will ever be entered as a value less than the commissioners rate. |
Other Allowance Paid | A calculated value. Amount of 'Total LAFHA Paid' remaining after accommodation and food components paid have been taken into account. |
Statutory Food Amount (Total) | A calculated value. Note, calculates with reference to the 'Adjusted normal home food costs (per week)' column (a hidden column). |
Reasonable food compensation (per week) | Defaults to the commissioner’s rates. |
Reasonable food compensation (Total) | A calculated value - Note, calculates with reference to the 'Adjusted reasonable food compensation (per week)' column (a hidden column) |
Net Method? | Defaults to 'No'. Select 'Yes' if using the Net Method. Read more in the FBT commentary on LAFHA and the 'net method'. |
Taxable Food Component | Calculated value |
Gross Taxable Value | Taxable value before reductions |
Value of Reductions | This is a calculation of the total of the reductions that can be applied on this row. Reductions are not available until Required declarations completed? is "Yes". Used for reconciliation with label 23 column (c). |
Taxable Value | This is a calculation of the taxable value for this benefit row. Used for reconciliation with label 23 on the FBT Form. |
Grossed up Taxable Value | Calculated value depending on gross up rate selected |
Reportable Value | Calculated value of reportable fringe benefits taxable value for this benefit. The value shown is capped at the applicable threshold and will display 0.00 until the employee exceeds this cap. The capping test is across all applicable benefit workpapers. |
Tax Payable | Calculated value of FBT payable for this benefit. |
Exemption Applied, $17,000 Cap | Represents the amount of 17,000 cap used |
Grossed up Taxable Value, $17,000 Cap exceeded by | Represents the amount by which a person exceeded their 17,000 cap |
Tax Payable $17,000 Cap Applied | Represents FBT payable as a result of exceeding the 17,000 cap |
Exemption Applied, $30,000 Cap | Represents the amount of 30,000 cap used |
Grossed up Taxable Value, $30,000 Cap exceeded by | Represents the amount by which a person exceeded their 30,000 cap |
Tax Payable $30,000 Cap Applied | Represents FBT payable as a result of exceeding the 30,000 cap |
Permanent resident for tax purposes? | Not applicable from 8 May 2012. Select Yes or No for a permanent resident of Australia. This column is relevant only for transitional arrangements and is not editable if the Start date or Alteration or Variation date is after 8 May 2012. |
Adjusted Food Component (per week) | Defaults to ‘Statutory Food Amount (per week)'. The value can be edited to less than the "Statutory Food Amount" and should to be considered in conjunction with 'Adjusted reasonable food compensation (per week)'. note
This field should not be adjusted without a tax opinion to support altering this value. |
Cost Centre Code | The cost centre code and name will default to the employee's cost centre as allocated in the Employee workpaper or to the default cost centre for non-reportable benefits. |
Cost Centre Description | |
State | Defaults to the Employee's Default State in the Employee workpaper. A different state can be selected from the dropdown menu. |
RFBA Excluded Component | Enter the amount that is not reportable. Value cannot be negative. |
Standard Category | Can select standard categories created for this benefit workpaper. Defaults as blank. |
Benefit ID | An auto generated ID used for benefit tracking in reports. |
Reporting Entity | Defaults to the currently filtered reporting entity code and name. |
Checklist tab details
Checklists present questions that you should answer or issues that you should consider while preparing your FBT return. At the end of each checklist, you can click into the information to add comments or sign off on the workpaper.
Notes tab details
The
Notes
tab provides an area where preparers and reviewers can record information. The format bar lets you apply styles and formatting to notes, similar to applications such as Microsoft Word. You can also insert images and hyperlinks and can print notes.