Note 13 - Employee entitlements

Current entitlements

Employee entitlements that Inland Revenue expects to be settled within 12 months of balance date are measured at nominal value based on accrued entitlements at current rates of pay. These include salaries and wages accrued up to balance date, annual leave and time off in lieu earned up to but not yet taken at balance date, and retiring and long-service leave entitlements expected to be settled within 12 months.

Inland Revenue recognises a liability for sick leave to the extent that absences in the coming year are expected to be greater than the sick leave entitlements earned in the coming year. The amount is calculated based on the unused sick leave entitlement that can be carried forward at balance date, to the extent that Inland Revenue anticipates it will be used by staff to cover those future absences.

Inland Revenue recognises a liability and an expense for bonuses where it is contractually obliged to pay them or where a past practice has created a constructive obligation and a reliable estimate of the obligation can be made.

Non-current entitlements

Employee entitlements that are payable beyond 12 months, such as long-service leave and retiring leave, have been calculated on an actuarial basis.

Other provisions include an allowance to meet requirements of the Holidays Act 2003 and other operational employee matters.

Explanation of major variances against budget

Provisions for employee entitlements were $16.785 million higher than budget mainly due to the timing of planned transformation restructuring costs (termination benefits), less leave taken by staff during the COVID-19 lockdown period in 2019-20 which has rolled into 2020-21, an additional provision for Holidays Act remediation, offset by the reversal of retiring leave for employees who have left Inland Revenue and macroeconomic changes to valuation assumptions for retiring leave.

Termination benefits

Termination benefits are payable when an employee’s employment contract is terminated before their normal retirement or when an employee accepts voluntary redundancy in exchange for these benefits. Inland Revenue recognises the expense when it is demonstrably committed to either terminate the employment of current employees, according to a detailed formal plan without the possibility of withdrawal, or as a result of an offer for voluntary redundancy.

Termination benefits to be settled within 12 months are reported at the amount expected to be paid. Otherwise they are reported as the present value of the estimated future cash outflows, where applicable.

Movements in the provisions for termination benefits and other provision are as follows.

Measuring retiring and long-service leave liabilities

The actuarial calculations for long-service leave and retiring leave liabilities are based on:

• employee contractual entitlements
• years of service accrued to balance date and years remaining to entitlement
• the present value of the estimated future cash outflows using an applicable discount rate and salary inflation rate.

Sick leave, annual leave and vested long-service leave are classified as a current liability. Non-vested long-service leave and retiring leave liabilities expected to be settled within 12 months of balance date are also classified as a current liability. All other long-service leave and retiring leave is classified as a non-current liability.

The present value of retiring and long-service leave obligations depend on a number of factors that are determined on an actuarial basis by an independent actuary. Key assumptions used in calculating liabilities are the discount rate and salary inflation. Any changes in these assumptions will impact the carrying amount of the liabilities.

The discount rates used by the independent actuary for the retiring and long-service leave valuations are based on the Treasury published forward rates at 30 June 2021. The forward rates are derived from New Zealand government bonds. The long-term salary inflation assumption is based on the Treasury published rates at 30 June 2021 and after obtaining advice from the independent actuary. The long-term salary inflation assumption used was 2.46% (2020: 2.19%).

COVID-19 impacts are reflected in the assumptions for discount rates and salary inflation. The net effect of these assumptions has resulted in an increase to the liability. The following section provides a sensitivity analysis of these assumptions.

Sensitivity analysis

The following table shows the effect of changes in forecast discount, salary inflation and withdrawal rates on liabilities for long-service and retiring leave. Each factor is considered separately as if all other factors remained constant.