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Articles on Taxation reform

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Treasurer Scott Morrison may be happy with a budget in balance by 2019-20, but the rising burden on individual taxpayers is a worry. Mick Tsikas/AAP

Rising reliance on personal income tax signals need for bolder reforms

Personal income taxpayers are shouldering more of the burden, while less revenue is coming from taxes on companies, capital and consumption. Only major reforms will change these sustained trends.
When an ageing person is forced to move out of their family home, that can trigger a host of problems that policy is doing little to prevent. Diego Cervo/Shutterstock

For Australians to have the choice of growing old at home, here is what needs to change

Millions of older Australians live in houses that don’t safely meet their needs, but they’re not ready for a nursing home. Lack of suitable housing and the moving costs leave them with nowhere to go.
Reforming how drivers pay for the costs of their road use can help keep traffic flowing, which is just one of the potential benefits. Holli/Shutterstock

Delay in changing direction on how we tax drivers will cost us all

Traffic congestion is the main cost that cars create when they use existing roads. Road use charges are a more efficient and fairer way to cover the cost and help ensure traffic flows.
Why so grim? Oh, tax cuts. AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais

Why tax cuts make us less happy

The Republican tax plan would ultimately make the current system less progressive while reducing the overall burden, two things research shows make countries less happy.
Finance Minister Bill Morneau is not the first Canadian politician to hold the job who’s been confronted with outrage over tax reform proposals. But it’s time to listen to people who get riled up about tax increases. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Vaughan

Why we should listen to people angry about their taxes

Outrage over tax reform is nothing new. But if we can’t be calm about tax, we can at least learn from the stories spoken in anger.
Speaker Paul Ryan talks about the new GOP tax plan. Reuters/Kevin Lamarque

Do tax cuts stimulate the economy more than spending?

President Trump recently released his tax plan, but he’s also said he wants to stimulate the economy with infrastructure spending. Is one more effective than the other at boosting growth?
Federal Urban Infrastructure Minister Paul Fletcher and Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull are eyeing value capture as a way to fund projects, but how will they sell a new tax to voters? Paul Miller/AAP

Value capture: a good idea to fund infrastructure but not easy in practice

Consider these home truths: value capture is a tax, it would need to apply to the family home and deciding which areas it covers would be politically contentious. A broad-based land tax is simpler.
Norweigian oil rig. Black Inc. Books

Book Review: Trillion Dollar Baby

Paul Cleary makes a good case as to why Australia should follow Norway as an example of how to tax miners in Trillion Dollar Baby.
A national housing policy is needed that recognises how all the sectors – buying, renting, investing, social housing or homeless – are connected. AAP/Paul Miller

Our cities will stop working without a decent national housing policy

A decent national housing policy is not just about the million or so Australians who are in housing need, marginal housing or homeless. In reality, all the housing sectors are connected.

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