ACOSS Reports & Submissions
Economics & Tax
January 2012
ACOSS’ submission to the Senate Economics Committee on the Tax Laws Amendment (Stronger, Fairer, Simpler and Other Measures) Bill 2011: reform of the tax treatment of superannuation contributions (ACOSS Paper 180).
ACOSS participated in the Australia’s Future Tax System Review (AFTS) process, and advocated reforms to make the personal income tax system and the tax treatment of superannuation fairer and more efficient. While we believe that there are some proposed changes that should be supported, such as the proposed mining tax in the Minerals Resource Rent Tax Bill, this submission proposes larger reforms to the present system of tax concessions for superannuation.
January 2012
In this submission, ACOSS outlines policy recommendations for consideration by the Federal Government in its 2012-13 Budget. The submission aims to resolve the tension between the Govern-ment’s commitment to restore the Budget to surplus from 2012-13 and the urgency of social and economic needs not yet met, of key social and economic reforms not yet completed.
Our priority for the 2012-13 Federal Budget remains to ensure that no person is excluded from the benefits of economic growth and prosperity and from the opportunity to fully participate in society. Some of the policy building blocks to meet this goal have been laid, including the commitment to introduce a National Disability Insurance Scheme, the emerging policy focus on employment participation for people excluded from the labour market, and last year’s mental health reform package.
May 2011
The Southern Cross Climate Coalition (SCCC) is an alliance of the Australian Conservation Foundation, the
Australian Council of Trade Unions, the Australian Council of Social Service and The Climate Institute. We
are committed to reducing our economy's dependence on carbon pollution and promoting solutions to
climate change.
Over the coming months Australia's political leaders have an opportunity to lay the policy foundations for a
prosperous, fair and competitive low pollution economy. These policies should aim to:
- reduce our economy's dependence on pollution;
- ensure fair and inclusive action on climate change;
- unlock new clean energy jobs and industries; and
- strengthen global action.
May 2011
ACOSS has argued for many years that family payments for teenagers aged 16 years and over are too low to enable low-income families to meet the rising cost of raising older children. ACOSS therefore supports the Government's intention to raise the Family Tax Benefit for older teenagers, but is concerned some of the most disadvantaged and vulnerable young Australians will miss out on proposed increases. The inflexibility of current participation requirements applied to Family Tax Benefit recipients means that up to 15,000 early school leavers may be deprived of a much needed increase in family assistance.
Read more>>
April 2011
ACOSS strongly supports the proposal to put a price on carbon pollution and has released this paper to outline our clear position on the form household compensation should take as part of our involvement in the important process to get the mechanism right. This paper argues that low income households should be given direct cash assistance that is properly indexed to meet real cost of living increases, and this should be based on essential expenditure not income because of the inequities in Australia's tax and transfer systems.
August 2010
ACOSS' Election Platform outlines key priorities to build a fair Australia which ensures people on low incomes are not excluded because of social or economic disadvantage. We are calling for commitments from our political leaders on issues including: Work and income support; Affordable Housing; Oral health; Indigenous; Tax; Climate change; and measures to Strengthen the Community Sector.
May 2010
This brief summary of the Henry Review's key social security reform proposals compares them with those advanced by ACOSS, and the Government's response.
On the whole, the Review Panel's proposals regarding working age payments are disappointing. Although the review identifies the key flaws in the present payment structure - that people in similar circumstances are paid at different rates, that these gaps are growing, that the system is too complex, and that people on pension payments are discouraged from seeking employment by the risk of a large drop in income support - the Panel's proposals fall well short of a reform agenda to resolve these problems. The report does, however, call for gaps between payments to be reduced and for all working age payments to be indexed in the same way (above inflation) to keep in touch with community living standards and ensure the gaps do not widen.
May 2010
This brief summary of the Henry Review's key tax reform proposals compares them with those advanced by ACOSS, and the Government's response.
The report provides a robust framework for future reform of the tax system. It is clear from that many of our proposals were adopted by the Review, though it is not yet clear whether they will be adopted by the Government and some key proposals have been ruled out. Our proposal to reform the tax treatment of superannuation contributions was adopted by the Review panel, along with more consistent tax treatment of investment income generally, restrictions on negative gearing, a broadening of Land Tax, the removal of inequitable tax offsets (such as the Senior Australians Tax Offset and the tax break on ‘golden handshakes'), a standard deduction for work expenses, and the extension of the pension income test ‘deeming' arrangements.
April 2010
ACOSS has released its five benchmarks for equitable social security reforms, asking whether the Henry report will:
1. Equalise core social security payments for people of working age (pensions and allowances)?
2. Propose new supplements for people with disabilities, sole parent families, and job search and training expenses?
3. Increase in Family Tax Benefits and Youth Allowances to prevent poverty among families with older children?
4. Reform social security income tests to encourage unemployed people to seek part time and casual jobs?
5. Simplify income testing and taxation for pensioners?
April 2010
ACOSS is calling for the introduction of a single base payment rate for all people of working age on income support to fix problems in the current system where some people are paid $120 per week less than others.
In a report released today, ACOSS says payments to over 2 million Australians - disability support pensioners, carers, sole parents, unemployed people and students - should be overhauled.
Base payments would be topped up for extra costs, such as rent, disability, caring, education and training. Couples would receive 1.5 times the single rate.
