A Better Tax Return

26 June 2008

Limiting the scope of the federal government’s tax reform process reduces the opportunity for Australia to become the world’s top place to live and do business, Business Council of Australia President Greig Gailey says.

Launching the BCA discussion paper, A Better Tax Return: Reconsidering the Role of Australia’s Tax System, Mr Gailey said Australians needed to rethink the role tax could play in underpinning the achievement of broader national reforms.

“Rather than seeing tax negatively, as a necessary burden, we need to change our mindset and view tax positively as an enabler of stronger growth and prosperity for all Australians,” Mr Gailey said.

“We must ask how tax can underpin better outcomes in areas of the economy that will boost our economic capacity such as workforce participation, infrastructure, education, regulation, competition, trade and innovation.
 
“If we want to deliver on Prime Minister Kevin Rudd’s vision for a ‘root and branch’ review of the tax system we need to put everything on the table, including the role of the GST and question whether tax reform really needs to be revenue neutral.

Read the full news release or download the paper here.

• Lopping the Root and Branch Tax Review Cuts Opportunity (news release)
• A Better Tax Return: Reconsidering the Role of Australia’s Tax System