Dividend cash refunds ‘distort economic system’

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By Leith van Onselen

The chief economist for the 2014 Financial System Inquiry, Professor Kevin Davis from the University of Melbourne, has expressed support for Labor’s plan to abolish cash refunds for excess dividend imputation credits.

Davis says that dividend imputation was intended to prevent the double taxation of corporate profits, and providing franking credit refunds for investors who do not pay tax has resulted in a “significant economic distortion”. From The Australian:

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About the author
Leith van Onselen is Chief Economist at the MB Fund and MB Super. He is also a co-founder of MacroBusiness. Leith has previously worked at the Australian Treasury, Victorian Treasury and Goldman Sachs.