Family Trusts & the New 30% Minimum Tax 家族信托与新30%最低税率

What is changing? 有什么变化？

From 1 July 2028 (subject to legislation), all income distributed by a discretionary (family) trust to an individual beneficiary will be subject to a minimum 30% tax rate. 从2028年7月1日起（须经立法），全权（家族）信托向个人受益人分配的所有收入，将须缴纳最低30%的税率。

Currently, a family trust can distribute income to beneficiaries on low tax rates — a stay-at-home spouse, a student child, a retired parent — and the income is taxed at their marginal rate, which may be 0%, 16%, or 19%. Under the new rules, even if the recipient has no other income, the distribution will attract at least 30% tax. 目前，家族信托可以将收入分配给低税率受益人——全职家庭主妇/夫、在读子女、退休父母——这些人的边际税率可能为0%、16%或19%。新规则下，即使受益人没有其他收入，分配款项也至少需缴纳30%的税。

This is the most significant change to trust taxation since family trusts became widely used in the 1980s and 1990s. 这是自1980、90年代家族信托广泛使用以来，信托税务领域最重大的变革。

How the 30% minimum tax works 30%最低税率如何运作

The trustee remains responsible for paying the 30% minimum tax on any trust distribution to an individual beneficiary. The mechanics work like this: 受托人负责就信托向个人受益人的任何分配缴纳30%最低税款。具体运作方式如下：

What about distributing to a company (bucket company)? 分配给公司（"桶公司"）怎么算？

Many family trusts currently distribute income to a "bucket company" — a company they control — to cap the tax rate at the corporate rate of 25% or 30%. Under the proposed rules, this strategy is significantly impaired: 许多家族信托目前将收入分配给其控制的"桶公司"，以将税率锁定在企业税率25%或30%。新规则下，这一策略将受到严重影响：

• The 30% minimum tax applies when distributing to the company and向公司分配时适用30%最低税率，且
• When the company later pays dividends to shareholders, those dividends are taxed again — with no credit for the 30% already paid公司日后向股东分红时，股息再次被征税——且不对已缴纳的30%税款给予抵免

This creates potential double taxation — a significant departure from how franking credits normally work. Many tax professionals consider this one of the most contentious unresolved elements of the proposal. 这可能造成双重征税，严重偏离股息抵免税额的正常运作逻辑。许多税务专业人士认为，这是该提案中最具争议的未决问题之一。

Real example — the dollar difference 实际案例 — 税款差异几何

In this example, the family pays $5,428 more tax per year on this single distribution. Multiply across multiple beneficiaries and larger distributions and the impact compounds quickly. 在此案例中，仅这一笔分配，家族每年就需多缴$5,428税款。若涉及多名受益人和更大金额的分配，影响将迅速叠加。

Who is most affected? 谁受影响最大？

Types of trusts not covered 豁免的信托类型

The 30% minimum tax specifically targets discretionary trusts. These trust types are excluded: 30%最低税率专门针对全权（家族）信托。以下类型的信托豁免适用：

• Fixed trusts and unit trusts固定信托与单位信托
• Widely held trusts广泛持有信托
• Complying superannuation funds合规养老金基金
• Special disability trusts特殊残障信托
• Deceased estates遗产（已故遗产）
• Charitable trusts慈善信托
• Fixed testamentary trusts (existing at 12 May 2026)固定遗嘱信托（2026年5月12日前已存在）
• Primary production income (proposed carve-out)农业生产收入（拟议豁免）

Key dates timeline 重要日期时间线

Why is the government doing this? 为何推行此变革？

The Government's argument is straightforward: a salary earner on $90,000 pays about 30% in income tax. A business owner who earns the same amount through a discretionary trust — and splits it across family members — can pay significantly less. The Treasurer described this as allowing some Australians to "plan their tax affairs in ways that aren't available to most people." 政府的理由很直接：年收入$90,000的工薪族需缴纳约30%所得税，而通过全权信托赚取同等收入的企业主，将收入分流给家庭成员后，实际税负可大幅低于这一水平。财政部长将此描述为允许部分澳洲人"以大多数人无法享受的方式规划税务"。

The measure is expected to raise approximately $4.5 billion over five years from 2025–26 — revenue the Government says will help fund broader personal income tax cuts for workers. 该措施预计从2025–26年度起的五年内筹集约45亿澳元——政府表示这笔收入将用于为工薪纳税人提供更广泛的个人所得税减免。

Critics — including many small business groups — argue the measure punishes legitimate family business structures not primarily motivated by tax minimisation. The double-taxation issue for corporate beneficiaries has attracted particular criticism as going well beyond the policy's stated purpose. 批评者——包括许多小企业团体——认为，该措施惩罚了并非主要以税务最小化为目的的合法家族企业架构。公司受益人的双重征税问题尤其受到批评，被认为远超该政策所声称的目的。

What should you do now? 现在该怎么做？

The legislation is not yet finalised, so wholesale restructuring is premature. However, some practical steps make sense now: 立法尚未最终确定，因此大规模重组为时尚早。但目前有一些实际步骤是合理的：

• Review your trust distributions审查您的信托分配情况 — understand which beneficiaries are on low tax rates and model the impact of a 30% minimum了解哪些受益人适用低税率，并测算30%最低税率的影响
• Talk to your accountant now, not in 2028现在就联系您的会计师，而非等到2028年 — the rollover relief window opens 1 July 2027, but planning takes time滚存减免窗口于2027年7月1日开启，但规划需要时间
• Consider whether restructuring makes sense评估重组是否合适 — for some trusts, moving to a company or fixed trust during the rollover window will be favourable对于部分信托，在窗口期内转为公司或固定信托可能更为有利
• Don't panic-restructure yet切勿仓促重组 — design details may change materially before the law passes立法通过前，细节可能发生重大变化
• Keep good records做好记录 — you'll need records of trust distributions and beneficiary incomes to model your exposure accurately您需要信托分配及受益人收入的详细记录，以便准确测算自身税务风险