Mining profits suffer a $4.6bn hit

Original article by Jack Quail
The Australian – Page: 4 : 3-Dec-24

Data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows that profits in the nation’s resources sector fell by 8.8 per cent to $47.4bn in the September quarter. The $4.6bn downturn was driven by a decline in iron ore and coal exports, which will weigh on the federal government’s revenue and the budget bottom line. The figures also show that non-mining profits fell by 1.7 per cent to $74.1bn during the quarter, and by 2.8 per cent in the year to September. Meanwhile, GDP data to be released on Wednesday is expected to show that the economy grew by 0.5 per cent in the September quarter and 1.1 per cent year-on-year.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS

Taxes eating up to 45pc of income: study

Original article by Michael Read
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 6 : 4-Apr-24

The Centre for Independent Studies has forecast that federal, state and local government tax revenue will rise to 30 per cent of GDP in 2023-24; this would be the highest level since the 2000-01 financial year. CIS senior fellow Robert Carling also estimates that taxes now account for 35-45 per cent of household gross income; he adds that although there are at least 125 different taxes in Australia, just 10 of them account for 90 per cent of government revenue. He notes that the benefits of the stage-three personal income tax cuts will be gradually eroded by bracket creep.

CORPORATES
THE CENTRE FOR INDEPENDENT STUDIES LIMITED

Surplus powered by iron ore and coal

Original article by Matthew Cranston
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 4 : 19-Mar-19

Ernst & Young expects the federal Budget’s bottom line to be $9.2bn better off over the next two years than Treasury had forecast in the Mid-Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook. The firm’s modelling of the Budget outcome is based on factors such as the price of iron ore and coal. Iron ore has averaged $US72 per tonne so far in 2018-19, compared with the MYEFO forecast of $U55/tonne. The price of metallurgical coal is also trading well above the MYEFO forecast so far in the current financial year.

CORPORATES
ERNST AND YOUNG, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, DELOITTE ACCESS ECONOMICS PTY LTD, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF INDUSTRY, INNOVATION AND SCIENCE

Iron and coal to deliver surprise budget bonanza

Original article by David Uren
The Australian – Page: 6 : 12-Feb-19

Federal government revenue will be boosted by the recent rally in the prices of Australia’s key export commodities. The mid-year budget update had forecast that the iron ore price would average $US55 per tonne in the first half of 2019, but it is widely tipped to reach $US100/tonne in coming days. The price of coking coal also remains well above the budget update’s forecast. Chris Richardson of Deloitte Access Economics expects the government to use the revenue gains to provide cash hand-outs in the April 2019 Budget.

CORPORATES
DELOITTE ACCESS ECONOMICS PTY LTD, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA

Miners drive corporate profit surge

Original article by Matthew Cranston
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 5 : 18-Dec-18

The federal government expects total revenue for 2018-19 to be $8.3bn higher than forecast in the May 2018 Budget, and $12.4bn higher over the forward estimates period. The revenue windfall has been driven by rising corporate profits, particularly in the mining sector as a result of higher commodity prices. Corporate tax revenue is expected to be about $495bn in 2018-19, compared with $460bn in 2017-18. However, economists say a sustained increase in company tax receipts cannot be taken for granted.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, PRICEWATERHOUSECOOPERS AUSTRALIA (INTERNATIONAL) PTY LTD, AMP CAPITAL INVESTORS LIMITED

Retirees to fund Labor cash spree

Original article by Simon Benson, Joe Kelly
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 16-May-18

It is estimated that the Federal Opposition’s tax plan would raise almost $A30bn in additional revenue over the four years to 2021-22. Labor’s proposal to scrap cash refund for excess dividend imputation credits, which primarily affects self-fund retirees, would account for $A10.7bn of this revenue, according to the Treasury and the Parliamentary Budget Office. Shadow treasurer Chris Bowen will use a speech on 15 May to emphasise that the bulk of the extra revenue will be used to reduce debt and the Budget deficit. Labor also intends to match the Coalition’s revised target of 2019-20 for achieving a surplus.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIA. PARLIAMENTARY BUDGET OFFICE, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, NATIONAL PRESS CLUB (AUSTRALIA)

AAA outlook remains negative: S&P

Original article by Jacob Greber
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 6 : 10-May-18

Credit ratings agency Standard & Poor’s has welcomed the Federal Government’s "fiscal prudence" in its May 2018 Budget. However, the firm has retained its negative outlook for Australia’s sovereign rating due to global factors such as the potential for an international trade war. Meanwhile, Jeremy Zook of Fitch Ratings says the Government’s revenue forecasts are "optimistic" and may affect its ability to deliver a surplus ahead of schedule.

CORPORATES
STANDARD AND POOR’S FINANCIAL SERVICES LLC, FITCH RATINGS LIMITED, ERNST AND YOUNG, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, MORGAN STANLEY AUSTRALIA LIMITED

Morrison locks in tax limits

Original article by Simon Benson
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 7-May-18

The Federal Government’s May 2018 Budget is expected to restrict tax cuts to people with taxable income of less than $A87,000. The tax cuts are likely to be delivered via the low-income tax offset, while Treasurer Scott Morrison has indicated that people on higher incomes are likely to receive tax cuts by 2024. Morrison stresses that the tax cuts in the 2018 Budget will be real and affordable. Meanwhile, the Government will use the Budget to formally adopt a tax-to-GDP ratio of 23.9 per cent, while it is tipped to forecast a modest surplus in 2019-20, which is one year ahead of schedule.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FINANCE, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Morrison to pledge a surplus of tax cuts

Original article by David Uren, Ben Packham
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 1-May-18

Treasurer Scott Morrison says the Federal Government will ensure that tax revenue is capped at no more than 23.9 per cent of GDP, and it will cut personal income taxes when necessary to avoid breaching this threshold. However, shadow treasurer Chris Bowen says this suggests that the Coalition has backtracked on its stated policy of achieving a Budget surplus that is equivalent to one per cent of GDP. Business Council of Australia CEO Jennifer Westacott argues that personal income tax cuts should not be on the government’s agenda unless it also pursues measures that will increase productivity, such as reducing the corporate tax rate.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, BUSINESS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA, DELOITTE ACCESS ECONOMICS PTY LTD

PC report urges fed-state tax revamp

Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 25-Oct-17

The Productivity Commission has released a report which notes that the federal government is responsible for raising 80 per cent of all tax revenue. The report, which is titled "Shifting the Dial", advocates giving the states greater power to raise revenue for the provision of government services instead of being so reliant on the federal government for funding. The report will be on the agenda when Treasurer Scott Morrison meets with his state and territory counterparts on 27 October.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. PRODUCTIVITY COMMISSION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, VICTORIA. DEPT OF TREASURY AND FINANCE, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY