With eight months left on his contract, Treasury Secretary Martin Parkinson decided to jump into the GST debate on Wednesday night. In a speech to the Sydney Institute, Parkinson declared the federal budget…
Australia’s big banks want the government to give their customers tax breaks on interest income, having told the Financial Systems Inquiry it would encourage more savings. In turn, the banks will have…
Abolishing the sacred cow of negative gearing - where losses can be used as a deduction against other income - is considered by governments of all persuasions as electorally unpalatable. But this part…
In the lead-up to a crucial federal budget in May, it could be argued that requiring the Commission of Audit to identify revenue trends that could pose a risk to the budget’s structural integrity could…
Australia should cut company taxes and increase innovation to avoid falling behind in the productivity race, according to a new report from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. The…
Treasurer Joe Hockey today urged G20 finance ministers to focus on ending gaps between Australian and overseas taxation arrangements that are eroding the tax base. He told an Institute of International…
In an ideal (and economically efficient) world, tax policy would not influence the investment or consumption choices taxpayers make. In reality, this neutrality is rarely achieved. External factors influence…
The federal government’s Commission of Audit - tasked with finding efficiency and productivity improvements to deliver a surplus of 1% of GDP prior to 2023-24 - remains overshadowed by the many reviews…
Australia has officially commenced its presidency of the G20 and preparations are underway for the November 2014 Summit, when the leaders of the world’s biggest economies will meet in Brisbane. The G20…
The Australian Taxation Office continues its campaign to track down the offshore bank accounts of wealthy Australians, amid a global effort to improve tax transparency. One option the ATO has in its kit…
From a three-and-a-half year high last month, business confidence data for October shows the post-election honeymoon is over, with business conditions continuing to underperform in non-mining sectors…
What are the chances that in the face of public criticisms, big business would curb its tax avoidance practices? Well, not much, as evidenced by a case decided by the US Court of Federal Claims. Salem…
Britain is still a majority social-democratic country. That is, politically, the most significant finding of the latest British Social Attitudes survey published this week. Most people want a country which…
The G20 has been dominated by Syria, tax reform, and playground infighting among world leaders. But where is the talk of ending hunger, eradicating diseases or cancelling debts? Back in 2005, as the G8…
The decision to terminate the statutory formula method under the fringe benefits tax regime will have significant ramifications on the car industry, the local car manufacturing industry and employment…
The tax arrangements of major brands such as Google, Apple and Amazon have prompted a fierce debate over questions of organisational ethics, social justice and international co-operation. But as a consumer…
It has been pretty difficult to get too excited about the latest budget – it is a lame Swan effort from a dying government. It will mostly be remembered as a monument to fiscal irresponsibility. The budget…
As a recent Grattan Institute report showed, Australian governments face a decade of deficits unless governments make tough decisions to both reduce expenditure and increase taxes. How does the 2013-14…
Few taxes have been as politically fraught as the GST. The deal, brokered by the-then Prime Minister John Howard and the Democrats in 2000, was not only controversial for its political ramifications, but…
All Australian governments, and ultimately all Australians, are faced with making tough decisions in their budgets. Without significant reductions in government expenditures and the services they provide…