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
Sustainable fiscal federalism and reform of the GST distribution system. The primary source of funds for Australian States and Territories is GST revenue distributed by the Commonwealth using an equalisation formula that has proved to be politically unsustainable and in recent times manifestly inadequate to provide the revenue needed in response to crises and natural disasters. A tipping point has been reached and reform is urgently needed. Drawing on international experience with GST distributi ....Sustainable fiscal federalism and reform of the GST distribution system. The primary source of funds for Australian States and Territories is GST revenue distributed by the Commonwealth using an equalisation formula that has proved to be politically unsustainable and in recent times manifestly inadequate to provide the revenue needed in response to crises and natural disasters. A tipping point has been reached and reform is urgently needed. Drawing on international experience with GST distributions specifically and fiscal federalism more generally, the project aims to develop a reform blueprint for a sustainable and equitable fiscal federalism regime in Australia that best aligns with Australia’s current and long-term fiscal needs.Read moreRead less
Mitigating tax barriers to trade and investment relations between Australia and the People’s Republic of China. China and Australia's conflicting tax rules and attitudes towards tax administration affect the level of trade, investment and labour mobility between the two countries. This project will explore and propose methods of reform for both the Chinese and Australian tax systems to strengthen our economic relationship.
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
Applying behavioural insights to the tax system in Australia. Applying behavioural insights to the tax system in Australia. This project aims to improve compliance and payment in the Australian tax system. It aims to tackle debts of individuals and businesses, the most challenging aspect of tax systems, by applying behavioural insights to design innovative payment interventions and conducting rigorous randomised controlled trials to evaluate their effects. An empirical analysis will account for ....Applying behavioural insights to the tax system in Australia. Applying behavioural insights to the tax system in Australia. This project aims to improve compliance and payment in the Australian tax system. It aims to tackle debts of individuals and businesses, the most challenging aspect of tax systems, by applying behavioural insights to design innovative payment interventions and conducting rigorous randomised controlled trials to evaluate their effects. An empirical analysis will account for heterogeneity in treatment responses, and the findings will be combined with a study of regulatory and administrative processes to support the ultimate goal of a legitimate, fair, cost-effective and responsive tax system.Read moreRead less
Growing inequality in incomes and wealth and the taxation of capital income: an economic and legal analysis. The research combines the expertise of leading scholars in economics and law to produce proposals for reform of Australia's system of taxing capital and labour incomes. This issue is of central importance to Australia's future, in the light of the challenges posed by increasing inequality of incomes and wealth, globalisation and population ageing.
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE160101127
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$292,251.00
Summary
Cutting red tape around donations: A new model for deductible gifts. This project intends to simplify the categorisation of recipients of tax deductible gifts so that it is easy to give and receive gifts and so gifts go only to those organisations that are in keeping with public policy. Donations cost approximately $1.3 billion annually. It is therefore important that donation is a streamlined process that encourages social pluralism while ensuring there is a good use of public money. Research i ....Cutting red tape around donations: A new model for deductible gifts. This project intends to simplify the categorisation of recipients of tax deductible gifts so that it is easy to give and receive gifts and so gifts go only to those organisations that are in keeping with public policy. Donations cost approximately $1.3 billion annually. It is therefore important that donation is a streamlined process that encourages social pluralism while ensuring there is a good use of public money. Research indicates that the current approach to determining donation deductibility status is complex and out of step with government policy, public discourse and community needs. The proposed framework will be simple, take into account public policy and be adaptable to the community’s changing needs and values.Read moreRead less
Optimal Tax Policy Meets Modern Labour Supply Theory. This project aims to generate new evidence on the optimal design of the federal tax system. Specifically, it seeks to determine the optimal combination of taxes on income, capital and consumption to raise necessary revenue while minimizing disincentives for work and capital formation. The project is innovative because, for the first time, it does optimal tax calculations using models that account fully for how taxes affect human capital inves ....Optimal Tax Policy Meets Modern Labour Supply Theory. This project aims to generate new evidence on the optimal design of the federal tax system. Specifically, it seeks to determine the optimal combination of taxes on income, capital and consumption to raise necessary revenue while minimizing disincentives for work and capital formation. The project is innovative because, for the first time, it does optimal tax calculations using models that account fully for how taxes affect human capital investment and labour force participation. It aims to enhance or understanding of the optimal mix between taxes on earnings, capital and consumption, and the optimal degree of income tax progressivity. The benefit is a tax system better designed to promote economic efficiency and human capital formation. Read moreRead less
Family Responses to Economic Shocks and Policy Reforms over the Life Cycle. Australian social and economic policy requires a sophisticated understanding of the interaction of public policy with recent demographic trends, including the growth in fragile families and the ageing population. This project aims to develop innovative dynamic models of family decision-making to produce new estimates of the impact of significant Australian public policy reforms on labour supply, fertility, family formati ....Family Responses to Economic Shocks and Policy Reforms over the Life Cycle. Australian social and economic policy requires a sophisticated understanding of the interaction of public policy with recent demographic trends, including the growth in fragile families and the ageing population. This project aims to develop innovative dynamic models of family decision-making to produce new estimates of the impact of significant Australian public policy reforms on labour supply, fertility, family formation, and retirement decisions. Structural econometric models will be used to simulate the effects of variation in the design of the Parenting Payment Single, Age Pension and other programs. The project findings are expected to generate economic and social policy recommendations.Read moreRead less