TAXATION – GOVERNMENT POLICY – AUSTRALIA

Tax cuts to soon disappear as budget relies on workers to recover from COVID-19

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Original article by Shane Wright
The Age – Page: Online : 22-Sep-21

Analysis by the Parliamentary Budget Office shows that ‘bracket creep’ will erode the benefits of the federal government’s personal income tax cuts over the next decade. The PBO has forecast that people with annual income of $20,000 to $50,000 face an increase of 6.6 per cent in their average tax rate by 2031-32, while those earning between $50,000 and $75,000 will pay an extra three per cent. People earning $96,000 to $160,000 a year are the only ones who will be paying a lower average tax rate. The final stage of the income tax cuts package will take effect in mid-2024.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. PARLIAMENTARY BUDGET OFFICE

Don’t trust Labor to cut high-income tax: Treasurer

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 9 : 14-Jul-21

Labor leader Anthony Albanese says the party will decide its stance on the stage-three income tax cuts at "an appropriate time". He adds that the COVID-19 pandemic is Labor’s top priority at present. Labor is expected to formally commit to retaining the legislated tax cuts if it wins the next federal election, after the issue was discussed by the party’s leadership group in recent days. However, Treasurer Josh Frydenberg says Labor has consistently opposed the Coalition’s tax policy and it cannot be trusted to honour any commitment regarding the stage-three tax cuts.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY

Lower corporate taxes vital to growth

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Original article by Tom Dusevic
The Australian – Page: 2 : 30-Jun-21

The Business Council of Australia has released a discussion paper which calls for an overhaul of the nation’s tax system. The BCA contends that tax revenue is too heavily skewed toward the largest companies and the three per cent of individuals who pay the highest personal income tax, and the tax system must evolve in line with a changing economy. BCA CEO Jennifer Westacott says the 30 per cent company tax rate in particular needs to be reviewed, given that the OECD and the Group of Seven have proposed a global minimum corporate tax rate of just 15 per cent.

CORPORATES
BUSINESS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA, ORGANISATION FOR ECONOMIC CO-OPERATION AND DEVELOPMENT, GROUP OF SEVEN (G-7)

ALP warms to $130bn tax cuts

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Original article by Geoff Chambers, Greg Brown, Patrick Commins
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 27-May-21

Labor is finalising the tax policy that it will take to the next election, and there are indications that it may support the federal government’s stage-three tax cuts. Labor’s caucus is divided over the issue of the tax cuts, which will benefit high-income earners in particular; however, there is growing support for the tax cuts among senior Labor MPs, who are concerned about a potential voter backlash at the next election over any changes to a tax package that has already been legislated. Labor is not expected to retain the government’s Low and Middle Income Tax Offset, which was intended to be temporary.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Battle over high-income tax cuts

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 6 : 13-May-21

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg has defended the decision to extend the low and middle income tax offset for another year in the May 2021 Budget. He argues that the tax offset will support aggregate demand and job creation, while he has not ruled out extending it again if circumstances warrant such a move. However, Frydenberg contends that the tax offset was never intended to be permanent and must end before the legislated stage-three income tax cuts take effect in 2024. Labor has not yet committed to supporting the tax cuts, which will benefit people on high incomes in particular.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Business calls to fast-track tax cuts

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Original article by Joe Kelly
The Australian – Page: 2 : 26-Apr-21

The third stage of the federal government’s income tax cuts package is slated to take effect from 1 July 2024. Business Council of Australia CEO Jennifer Westacott says the government should consider bringing forward the tax cuts in order to boost the economy and create jobs in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, Australian Council of Social Service CEO Cassandra Goldie recently called for the third-stage tax cuts to be dropped, arguing that they will benefit people on high incomes the most.

CORPORATES
BUSINESS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN COUNCIL OF SOCIAL SERVICE

Reform taxes to help economy recover, IMF tells Australia

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Original article by John Kehoe
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 2 : 26-Oct-20

Harald Finger of the International Monetary Fund has expressed support for federal government measures such as the JobKeeper wage subsidy scheme in response to the coronavirus pandemic. Finger also agrees that the JobKeeper scheme needs to be wound back as the domestic economy recovers, and the focus should shift to economic reforms that boost growth in productivity and investment. The IMF Mission chief to Australia also advocates a reduction in the corporate tax rate and increasing the goods and services tax.

CORPORATES
INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND

Cash to go: the tax cuts start to flow

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Original article by Greg Brown
The Weekend Australian – Page: 1 & 7 : 10-Oct-20

The omnibus bill containing the federal Budget’s key tax measures was passed by both houses of Parliament on 9 October. The stage-two income tax cuts are expected to begin flowing through to workers’ take-home pay in November, after the Australian Taxation Office adjusts its withholding tax schedules. The omnibus bill also provides tax relief for corporate Australia, including a business investment allowance, a loss carry-back scheme and changes to the fringe benefits tax regime that will benefit small businesses.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN TAXATION OFFICE

Bringing forward tax cuts in federal budget fair, but not very effective: Deloitte

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Original article by Killian Plastow
The New Daily – Page: Online : 28-Sep-20

The federal government has flagged bringing forward tax cuts planned for 2024-25 when it hands down the budget on 6 October. There have been claims that doing so would increase inequality in Australia, but Chris Richardson from Deloitte Access Economics contends that the tax cuts are "fair". However, he suggests that while the tax cuts will help to stimulate the economy, other measures such as spending on infrastructure or social housing could be more effective, as the cuts will generally benefit high-income earners who are more likely to save the extra money than spend it.

CORPORATES
DELOITTE TOUCHE TOHMATSU LIMITED

Migration, tax reform key to revival

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Original article by Geoff Chambers
The Australian – Page: 4 : 24-Aug-20

The Australian Industry Group has urged the federal government to pursue major changes to the nation’s tax system. The employers’ group says long-term tax reform measures should include an overhaul of the goods and services tax, the abolition of mining royalties and replacing fuel excise with road-user charges. It has also called for scheduled personal income tax cuts to be brought forward and business income tax relief to be extended. The AiGroup also wants the migrant cap to be increased, with priority given to skilled migrants.

CORPORATES
THE AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRY GROUP