The Australian Council of Social Service has called for the tax treatment of private trusts to be tightened, which it says could save $1.5 billion in 2017-18.
While a major tax switch is now not on, Scott Morrison is still heavily focused on the challenge of bracket creep.
Mick Tsikas/AAP
Fairfax-Ipsos’ first poll of 2016 has the government ahead 52-48% on the two-party vote and Malcolm Turnbull leading Bill Shorten 64-19% as preferred prime minister. While the numbers for the Coalition…
Bill Shorten announced a number of tax reform initiatives at the NSW Labor conference.
Gemma Najem/AAP
Bill Shorten has unveiled tax changes that will tighten negative gearing and capital gains tax provisions, saving $565 million over the forward estimates and $32.1 billion over a decade.
There are some relatively easy administrative ways of tackling bracket creep.
AAP/Mick Tsikas
Assistant Treasurer Kelly O'Dwyer told the ABC that “average income earners largely are the people who do get to take advantage of negative gearing.” Is that a fact?
Rethinking tax is harder than it looks.
Tracey Nearmy/AAP
While policies such as negative gearing have helped middle to high income earners own property, they have also locked low income earners out of the market and created an unequal housing sector.
Has treasurer Joe Hockey already made up his mind about the more controversial tax suggestions in the recent Re:think discussion paper?
AAP/Lukas Coch
The perennial debate about negative gearing of residential property investments has been reignited yet again, by two reports in the past week. The International Monetary Fund has nominated taxes on housing…
Are Australians blaming the wrong people for skyrocketing house prices?
Dan Peled/AAP
Charis Palmer, The Conversation and Emil Jeyaratnam, The Conversation
Further reading: Little hard data in the area of foreign investment Don’t be misled on Chinese foreign investment: read the facts Don’t blame foreign investment for rising house prices Explainer: why negative…
Quarantining losses is used across much of our public finance system. Negative gearing is an exception.
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Abolishing the sacred cow of negative gearing - where losses can be used as a deduction against other income - is considered by governments of all persuasions as electorally unpalatable. But this part…
The Commission of Audit may miss the true picture if it looks only at cutting costs.
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In the lead-up to a crucial federal budget in May, it could be argued that requiring the Commission of Audit to identify revenue trends that could pose a risk to the budget’s structural integrity could…
Under the current tax regime, investors and cashed up owner occupiers are bidding up the cost of housing.
Dean Lewins/AAP
In an ideal (and economically efficient) world, tax policy would not influence the investment or consumption choices taxpayers make. In reality, this neutrality is rarely achieved. External factors influence…