French President Nicolas Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel have announced a plan to impose a financial transactions tax (FTT) for the Eurozone, as part of an effort stem the bloc’s worsening…
High profile Wickenby targets like Glenn Wheatley make good headlines, but conflate avoidance and evasion.
AAP
Distinctions matter. Maybe lawyers devote more effort than the average citizen to making distinctions, and invest the ones they find with improbable significance, but these are occupational hazards. Even…
The not-for-profit sector is facing the loss of a privileged exemption that allows charities to avoid paying tax on profit-making activities. Announced in May’s Budget, the changes will see not-for-profit…
Without the truly important issues on the agenda, October’s tax forum will achieve little.
AAP
Debates around tax are too often seen as marginal to real life and not very interesting. October’s tax forum offers an opportunity to challenge this misconception and do some hard thinking about what society…
Interventionist or free market - just where do our economists sit?
Flickr/Daquella Manera
A funny thing happened on the way to this year’s Australian Conference of Economists. A survey was conducted of the policy opinions of members of the Economic Society of Australia (ESA). Far from conforming…
Price-gouging might occur under the carbon tax regime, but market discipline will keep it in check.
Flickr/dmcneil
Federal Treasurer Wayne Swan has announced that the government will provide the competition watchdog with almost $13 million in extra funding to tackle carbon tax-related price-gouging. In this context…
Funding for agricultural research and development has to come from somewhere.
AAP
Food security is on the agenda for Australia. I wrote on this recently, pointing out that while we currently grow enough to feed 60m people, we are not immune to food security pressures. Wealthier nations…
A survey of 140 economists found 60% were in favour of the Gillard government’s carbon tax policy.
AAP
A survey of 145 economists released today found that 60% believe the Gillard government’s carbon tax is good economic policy. The carbon tax package, announced on Sunday, penalises 500 heavy polluters…
Households will bear more financial burdens as Gillard’s carbon tax regime matures.
AAP
The carbon tax is short-term carrot and long-term stick. The Coalition’s campaign against “a great big new tax” drove Gillard to introduce a tax for which most people and businesses affected will be compensated…
Many of Ken Henry’s changes have been adopted, but is it reform?
AAP
At first glance, the Federal Government’s carbon tax plan appears to carry out significant income tax rate reform in the guise of carbon price compensation. Indeed, the proposed tax rate reforms adopt…
Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Climate Change Minister Greg Combet address a press conference on Sunday. A carbon tax package announced today includes compensation measures and a radical overhaul of income tax policy.
ABC News24
The Australian government announced on Sunday it would introduce a carbon tax at $23 a tonne next July, rising 2.5% annually plus inflation and moving to a market-based emissions trading scheme in 2015…
Ken Henry’s tax review discusses a ‘bequest’ tax - should it be back on the public agenda?
AAP
The concept of death duties reared its controversial head publicly recently, with Greens Senator Lee Rhiannon quizzed on party policy by the ABC’s political editor Chris Uhlmann. Greens leader Bob Brown…
Most families with at least one child say they are ‘comfortable’ with their finances at just under $80,000, according to latest figures from the Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research.
Flickr, Meredith Farkas.
Most families say they would feel comfortable living on an annual household income of just under $80,000 according to new figures from the Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research. However…
Will Andrew Forrest succeed in his push to change the mining tax? Others have succeeded in the past.
AAP
Andrew “Twiggy” Forrest’s visit to Canberra earlier this week didn’t prove particularly effective in swaying the government on its freshly drafted mineral resources rent tax (MRRT) legislation. But the…
The Budget: What does it have to do with tax reform? This year’s budget claims to “progress the government’s tax reform agenda, improving fairness and integrity in the tax system”. Does it? The short answer…
Changes to the charity tax rules could impact on Gloria Jean’s among other organisations.
Flickr/Edwin Tang ET
Tonight’s budget is expected to tighten a tax loophole for charities which run businesses unrelated to their charitable work. The government thinks it will increase revenue for Australia’s coffers. It…
Significant: Ken Henry’s tax review deserves to be on the national agenda.
AAP
The Henry Review released in May last year provided the Commonwealth and state governments with a wealth of good ideas for reform, yet so far the political processes have failed to deliver reforms. Why…
In recent years productivity growth in Australia has been in alarming decline. A series of government reports have identified some of the causes: infrastructure and skills inadequacies, bottlenecks and…