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Articles on Taxation

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Then NSW treasurer and now Premier Mike Baird, shaking hands in 2013 to mark the handover of Port Botany under a 99-year lease – the same period as has been proposed to lease state electricity assets to private operators. Dan Himbrechts/AAP

NSW can pay for the infrastructure it needs without privatisation

Privatising public assets is like a tradesperson selling her or his tools when facing a temporary income shortfall. Much better to borrow at low interest rates and productively invest those funds.
Allowing people to raid their superannuation early is likely to have significant unintended consequences. Image sourced from shutterstock.com

We need to talk about super, not just first home buyers

Australia’s retirement income system is unsustainable, and there seems little political appetite to tackle the big issues.
The Australian community has been involved in many discussions about tax in the past, and now it’s time for some new decisions. Image sourced from Shutterstock.com

It’s time to choose what kind of tax system we want

Five years on from the Henry Tax Review tax reform is upon us again, and this time Australia must plan for the future.
Can everyone be a winner from comprehensive tax reform? Image sourced from Shutterstock.com

Tax reform - can we ALL win?

Just what are the issues we need to watch when it comes to tax reform? Read this explainer.
Despite claims, there isn’t a systemic problem with tax evasion by Australian companies. Image sourced from www.shutterstock.com

Australia is not a country of rorters: our tax system is sound

The Henry Tax Review identified 125 taxes within Australia levied by all levels of government. Of those 125 taxes, just 10 taxes raised 90% of all tax revenue. The company tax is the second largest source…
We all want governments to do more with our taxes, so should we be willing to pay more? Photo sourced from Shutterstock.com

Put your hand up if you’d like to pay more tax

The same deep forces that were behind the election result in Queensland are being played out in Canberra. The Australian people want, although most won’t admit it, higher taxes – either now or in the future…
The Abbott government is preparing to give Australians a tax cut, but Treasurer Joe Hockey seems confused as to just how much tax we pay. Dean Lewins/AAP

The truth about bracket creep and Hockey’s tax tales

Australian Treasurer Joe Hockey claims taxpayers are already paying 50 cents in the dollar of their income to the government and that bracket creep will push the average income earner into the second top…
Shifting the tax burden to wage earners in the middle is a costly and outdated approach to tax reform. Dave Hunt/AAP

Expanding the GST would hit the ‘middle’ and women the hardest

Many developed economies have experienced a significant increase in inequality in recent decades. Survey data for Australia show that the share of the top 10% of the income distribution, and more markedly…
Australia’s GST is considered a regressive tax, so the idea of extending it to fresh food is considered unfair. A more detailed analysis reveals it’s not that simple. Charlotte90T/Flickr

Making the case for GST on fresh food

With the federal government’s review of taxation about to get underway, many are expecting Australia’s Goods and Services Tax to be up for change. In this GST series we take a closer look at the evidence…
Closing the thousands of loopholes that riddle the US tax code is a rare area of bipartisan agreement in Congress. So why is it so hard to end them? Shutterstock

Tax loopholes draw bi-party fire but don’t expect them to vanish

The thousands of tax loopholes that litter the corporate tax code in the United States are frequent targets of criticism from both Democrats and Republicans. Outgoing Republican Senator Tom Coburn released…
In the dark? Ignoring revenue has stymied Australia’s budget debate. Shutterstock

Without revenue, Australia can only have half a budget debate

The missing element in this week’s mid-year economic and fiscal outlook, and more broadly, in current government policy, stares Australians in the face. Revenue needs to be increased. Increasing taxes…
To prevent future pain, the government can’t put off tough decisions on tax. Lukas Coch/AAP

Why it’s time to hike the GST and levy an inheritance tax

The government’s recent budget outlook (MYEFO) confirmed that the Australian government budget is rotten at the core. The government is hopelessly living beyond its means, with expenditure greater than…
The Financial System Inquiry says the purpose of superannuation is to provide a retirement income that can substitute or supplement the age pension. Lukas Coch/AAP

Murray pushes for fewer super tax breaks but change is unlikely

David Murray’s Financial System Inquiry may call for the removal of superannuation tax breaks but the government’s tax discussion paper, due to be released next week, is unlikely to advocate similar changes…
Australia’s children and grandchildren will not enjoy the fruits of the country’s prosperity as much as their parents. Mate Marschalko/Flickr

Young Australians set to pay for government policy mistakes

Having enjoyed continuously increasing prosperity since the Second World War, Australians have come to expect that each generation will live a better life than the last. But this steady progress may be…
Talk of a tax crackdown has Joe Hockey smiling. Lukas Coch/AAP

Australia eyes missing billions with very own ‘Google tax’

Joe Hockey has hinted he may introduce a “Google tax” as a new weapon to tackle profit shifting by multinational enterprises. The Treasurer’s suggestion is not only political as a counter to aggressive…
Forced to defend the broken promises embedded in its budget, the government has left people worried about hidden post-election agendas. Penny Bradfield/AAP

Australia’s trust emergency will stymie year of reform

Political and business leaders are touting the next 12 months as a make-or-break year for the country’s reform agenda - and Australia’s economy. A number of big changes will be proposed and debated. These…
Kansas Governor Sam Brownback was re-elected despite a tight fight over his tax cuts and resulting deficit, which were revealed to be worse than expected just days after the election. Reuters

Brownback’s Kansas tax experiment may prove death knell for corporate reform

Republican gains in this month’s election, which handed the GOP united control of Congress for the first time since 2006, have lifted hopes that the government can pass corporate tax reform next year…
Leaked documents reveal how multinational companies use PwC in Luxembourg to shift profits and avoid tax. Nicolas Bouvy/AAP

Luxembourg leaks: how harmful tax competition leads to profit shifting

Hundreds of advance tax agreements between Luxembourg and more than 300 taxpayers were leaked and published by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists last week. The taxpayers involved…

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