аЯрЁБс>ўџ BDўџџџCџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџьЅС` №ПюbjbjЫsЫs .,ЉЉюџџџџџџЄJJJJJJJšє66664jŽЯ% ’’’’’mmmN%P%P%P%P%P%P%$o'hз)*t%JЖmmЖЖt%JJ’’л‰%žžžЖ J’J’N%žЖN%žžЊ"|JJj#’† №Зж‰йЙЦ6Р ’"N%Ÿ%0Я%Є"Ц*ЪЪ*$j#j#ˆ*Jђ$\m0"žПллmmmt%t%” mmmЯ%ЖЖЖЖŽŽŽ’ ЄŽŽŽ’ ^$‚џџџџJJJJJJџџџџ Mr John William von Doussa QC The President Same-Sex Inquiry Human Rights Unit Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission GPO Box 5218 Sydney NSW 2001 16 June 2006 Dear Mr von Doussa Thank you for the opportunity to make a submission to the National Inquiry into Discrimination against People in Same Sex Relationships: Financial and Work-Related Entitlements and Benefits. I have been in a relationship for over 12 years with my same-sex partner. There are a number of areas of financial discrimination that directly affect us. Medicare levy safety net For Medicare safety net purposes a family consists of: a couple legally married and not separated, or a man and a woman in a de facto relationship with or without dependent children (i.e. under 16 years or a full time student under 25 years whom you support), and a single person with dependent children. Because we are not recognised as a couple for the Medicare safety net, we are required to meet out-of-pocket expenses as two single people.  In 2006, this figure will be $1,000 each ($2,000 combined). This results in a financial detriment to the extent of up to $1,000 each year. Superannuation contribution splitting Recent Government legislation allows splitting of superannuation contributions between spouses, including de facto spouses. This applies to contributions made from 1 January 2006. Same sex couples are unable to split contributions. The main advantage of contributions splitting is the ability to benefit from having two tax-free thresholds. The lump sum tax-free threshold on superannuation is currently $129,751. As an example, if a heterosexual couple’s collective superannuation is under $259,502, then, through splitting, the total amount can be tax free. For same sex couples, where splitting is not possible, amounts over $129,751 will be taxed at 16.5 per cent. In our case, my partner has significantly less superannuation savings than I do and we would like to equalise the amounts saved in superannuation. The ability to do this by splitting superannuation contributions would be of great benefit to our retirement savings. The potential tax saving is over $20,000 at retirement. We are unable to take advantage of this initiative as it is not available to same sex couples. Spouse contribution tax offset A person in a heterosexual relationship with a low-income spouse (earning less than $13,800 per annum) can make after-tax contributions on behalf of that spouse and receive a tax offset of up to $540 per annum. We are not able to take advantage of this offset. Family law and superannuation For married heterosexual couples, from 28 December 2002, superannuation became treated like any other property in the event of a marriage breakdown. Under this system, superannuation assets can be valued and the couple (or the court) can decide how they want to deal with them. The law gives rights to a spouse to find out directly from fund(s) about the size and nature of their divorced or separated partner’s superannuation, to make agreements on the division of superannuation in the event of marriage breakdown and a court can order the splitting of a superannuation interest. In the unfortunate event of our separation, we would be unable to take advantage of this system as the legislation does not apply to same sex couples. The issues outlined above represent real examples of unfair and unjust financial disadvantage. Please take my comments into consideration as part of this inquiry. I request that my name and personal details be kept confidential but I give permission for the Inquiry to publish or use all or any of the content of my submission. Please feel free to call me if you require any further information or clarification. 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