Personal income tax reform in Australia - development of a model. This project will produce a personal income tax model that can sustain the high revenue and other expectations imposed upon it, and yet deliver enhanced equity, efficiency and simplicity. The main benefits of developing such a model include the increased legitimacy of the income tax system, with enhanced compliance outcomes and a reduction in tax avoidance and evasion. Further benefits include reduced tax administrative and compli ....Personal income tax reform in Australia - development of a model. This project will produce a personal income tax model that can sustain the high revenue and other expectations imposed upon it, and yet deliver enhanced equity, efficiency and simplicity. The main benefits of developing such a model include the increased legitimacy of the income tax system, with enhanced compliance outcomes and a reduction in tax avoidance and evasion. Further benefits include reduced tax administrative and compliance costs, increased work effort and a positive ongoing contribution to GDP.Read moreRead less
Towards systemic reform of the Australian personal income tax: developing a sustainable model for the future. The personal income tax (PIT) is a vital component of the Australian tax system, largely untouched by recent (primarily business and indirect) tax reform. It currently faces major problems. Solutions need to be found to a variety of defects relating to the tax base, tax rates and tax administration.
The project aims to explore alternative PIT models that can sustain the high revenue a ....Towards systemic reform of the Australian personal income tax: developing a sustainable model for the future. The personal income tax (PIT) is a vital component of the Australian tax system, largely untouched by recent (primarily business and indirect) tax reform. It currently faces major problems. Solutions need to be found to a variety of defects relating to the tax base, tax rates and tax administration.
The project aims to explore alternative PIT models that can sustain the high revenue and other expectations imposed upon it, and yet deliver enhanced equity, efficiency and simplicity. By testing these models against world best practice and taxpayer, tax practitioner and tax administrator resistance, the project aims to develop and deliver a model that can attract community support alongside the achievement of traditional tax policy goals.Read moreRead less
Tax Loss Selling: Implications for investor share trading behaviour and industry effects. We will contribute to the national interest in several ways. First, we will provide up-to-date evidence on Tax Loss Selling (TLS), addressing an acute lack of research in this area. Second, a predictive model of TLS is being developed, which is important in understanding when and where significant TLS will arise. Third, we will examine whether the mineral exploration industry has been particularly disadvant ....Tax Loss Selling: Implications for investor share trading behaviour and industry effects. We will contribute to the national interest in several ways. First, we will provide up-to-date evidence on Tax Loss Selling (TLS), addressing an acute lack of research in this area. Second, a predictive model of TLS is being developed, which is important in understanding when and where significant TLS will arise. Third, we will examine whether the mineral exploration industry has been particularly disadvantaged by the Capital Gains Tax. As recognised in the Prosser Report, current tax policy is a potentially important cause of the decline in exploration expenditure. Its role needs to be understood, because the exploration industry contributes substantially to exports and national income, and is critical to the national interest. Read moreRead less
Quantification issues in corporate valuation, the cost of capital, and optimal capital structure. An estimate of the firm's cost of capital is probably the most important calculation required in corporate finance. It is used as the discount rate in valuation and capital budgeting decisions and forms the basis of pricing structures for many regulated industries. Corporate finance theory has identified the key inputs used to calculate the cost of capital, but the current literature falls short o ....Quantification issues in corporate valuation, the cost of capital, and optimal capital structure. An estimate of the firm's cost of capital is probably the most important calculation required in corporate finance. It is used as the discount rate in valuation and capital budgeting decisions and forms the basis of pricing structures for many regulated industries. Corporate finance theory has identified the key inputs used to calculate the cost of capital, but the current literature falls short of precisely quantifying and measuring many of these inputs. The outcomes from this project will be a framework to quantify three key aspects of the cost of capital - the value of dividend imputation tax credits, the assessment of the optimal capital structure for the firm (in particular, the quantification of bankruptcy and agency costs associated with debt financing), and the estimation of the firm's marginal tax rate.Read moreRead less
Safeguarding the domestic tax base in a world without investment borders. Reform of Australia's tax rules applying to business investments abroad will ensure the continued protection of the domestic tax base while removing disincentives that discourage Australian enterprises from investing overseas and foreign enterprises from using Australia as a site for regional investment. Enabling more Australian firms to invest abroad and attracting foreign capital inflows by investors seeking to use Austr ....Safeguarding the domestic tax base in a world without investment borders. Reform of Australia's tax rules applying to business investments abroad will ensure the continued protection of the domestic tax base while removing disincentives that discourage Australian enterprises from investing overseas and foreign enterprises from using Australia as a site for regional investment. Enabling more Australian firms to invest abroad and attracting foreign capital inflows by investors seeking to use Australia as a politically stable platform for foreign investment will contribute to the restoration of a balance of payments equilibrium and strengthen the Australian economy vis-à-vis those of Australia's key regional trading partners.Read moreRead less
GST and the global economy: identifying the underlying causes of consumption tax conflicts affecting cross-border trade. This project will provide an independent analysis of the desirability of particular types of destination based jurisdictional rule in a GST/VAT in light of their effects on global trade and revenue collection. Focussing on basic principles, the project will assess the relationship between the ideal subject of the tax (consumption) and the practical effects of existing laws (wh ....GST and the global economy: identifying the underlying causes of consumption tax conflicts affecting cross-border trade. This project will provide an independent analysis of the desirability of particular types of destination based jurisdictional rule in a GST/VAT in light of their effects on global trade and revenue collection. Focussing on basic principles, the project will assess the relationship between the ideal subject of the tax (consumption) and the practical effects of existing laws (which tax their own peculiar concept of consumption). The inclusion of comparative research on developing and transition countries will enable Australia to assess the outcomes of the concurrent OECD and EC work in this area from a broader perspective and to evaluate the effects of its own laws on both global trade and the revenue of Australia and its trading partners.Read moreRead less