Salary packaging airline lounge memberships

ANU administers a salary packaging service for Qantas Club and Virgin Australia Lounge airline lounge memberships.

Eligibility

Refer to the ANU Salary Sacrifice Procedure for more information on who is eligible to participate in salary packaging arrangements.

What can be packaged?

Airline Lounge Memberships for Qantas Club and Virgin Australia Lounge are available for packaging under this arrangement.

Qantas Club allows employees to salary package either a one-year or a two-year membership. Staff connected to the ANU network can find out further information on the ANU Qantas Club page.

Virgin Australia Lounge allows employees to salary package a one-year membership only. Staff connected to the ANU network can find out further information on the ANU Virgin Australian Lounge page.

New lounge members will also have to pay a once-off joining fee. This can be included as part of your salary packaging arrangement.

Packaging airline lounge membership process

1. Employee reads ANU Salary Sacrifice Procedure to confirm whether they are eligible to participate in the salary packaging arrangement, and seeks financial advice as required.
2. Employee purchases/renews their airline membership over the phone or online: refer to the lounge memberships webpage for details.
3. The employee submits an original Tax Invoice along with a Request to Salary Package an Airline Lounge Membership to Tax Unit, Finance & Business Services, Building 10C.
4. Tax Unit will review and approve the application. Employees will be reimbursed in full for the cost of the membership to their default salary bank account.
5. The GST exclusive cost of the airline lounge membership will then be deducted from the employee's pre-tax salary over the number of pays elected by the employee (up to a maximum of 10 pays)

Tax implications

Airline Lounge Memberships are exempt from Fringe Benefits Tax (FBT) under Section 58Y of the FBT Act. This benefit will not be reported as a Reportable Fringe Benefit amount on an employee's payment summary.

It is important that staff members seek financial advice (at their own expense) from an independent financial adviser, tax consultant or accountant before entering into any salary sacrificing arrangement.

For further information, please contact the Tax Unit, Finance & Business Services.