Australian budget

By Leith van Onselen Fairfax’s Jessica Irvine has done a good job debunking the Turnbull Government’s company tax cut agenda: …with so many other nations engaged in a race to the bottom on corporate tax rates, can Australia afford to leave its 30 per cent rate where it is?

By Leith van Onselen The Commonwealth Grants Commission has backed new plans to deliver a greater slice of GST revenue back to Western Australia via an increase in iron ore royalties.

By Leith van Onselen As expected, the Turnbull Government and the Business Council of Australia (BCA) have used the Trump Administration’s pledge to cut the corporate tax rate from 35% to 20% to redouble their lobbying efforts to cut Australia’s corporate tax rate.

By Leith van Onselen The federal budget has been handed a reprieve with the deficit for 2016-17 trimmed by $4.4 billion on the back of faster than anticipated thanks to mini-boom in the commodity prices and corporate profits.

By Leith van Onselen Grant Wardell-Johnson, a partner at KPMG’s Australian Tax Centre, has called for an end to (or major reform of) Australia’s dividend imputation system arguing that it is holding the economy back.

Cross-posted from The Conversation: Australia’s health system is unique – much like its fauna.

By Leith van Onselen You can’t keep the money grubbing rent-seeker down.

By Leith van Onselen Thirty-five health organisations have united to put an eight-pronged action plan to the Federal Government, which includes a 20% tax on sugary beverages.

By Leith van Onselen Back in July it was revealed that a draft tax ruling issued by the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) in March 2017 could allow “passive” family investment companies to claim tax refunds and deductions, opening the door for wealthy families to claim back hundreds of millions of dollars.

By Leith van Onselen Commentators often talk about the electricity “death spiral”, which arises when demand for power declines, due in part to customers taking up solar, leading to higher prices to cover fixed network costs.

By Leith van Onselen In his Budget reply speech in May, Opposition Leader Bill Shorten announced plans to impose a cap on the amount that can be claimed for getting tax returns done by a tax agent.

Last week’s WA budget slipped by as MB went to Adelaide but I’ve revisited it over the weekend to see how Labour has done after years of disastrous mis-forecasting by the Liberals.

By Leith van Onselen The extent of the NSW Government’s asset sales has been laid bare in a budget estimates hearing.

Via the ABC: The iron ore price spike in recent months has delivered little for state coffers, with the Government set to reveal a $1.7 billion royalty revenue hit over the forward estimates when it hands down its first budget next week.

By Leith van Onselen The Turnbull Government is optimistic that its proposed 0.5% increase in the Medicare levy will be passed by the Senate.

By Leith van Onselen A leading tax expert has thrown a hand grenade at the Turnbull Government’s company tax cut policy, claiming that the rich would benefit the most if company taxes were lowered.

Via Domainfax: Foreign purchasers are buying as much as 40 per cent of all new apartments in Melbourne, with new figures showing a surge in a tax raised from offshore investment.

By Leith van Onselen Commentators often talk about the electricity “death spiral”, which arises when demand for power declines, due in part to customers taking up solar, leading to higher prices to cover fixed network costs.

By Leith van Onselen The South Australian Government has joined New South Wales and Victoria in privatising its land registry in a bid to raise a quick $1.605 billion.

Cross-posted from The Conversation: Half of all Australians are now able to connect to the NBN.

By Leith van Onselen I have complained repeatedly that Australia’s universities have turned into ‘degree factories’ since student numbers were uncapped in 2009, whereby universities teach as many students as possible to accumulate Commonwealth government funding through HELP/HECS debts.

By Leith van Onselen In February last year I noted that the cigarettes tax – a policy adopted by both major parties in the lead-up to the Federal Election – would achieve two broad outcomes: It would fail to raise the projected revenue.