September 2014

The Future of Tax: Australia’s Current Tax System is the first in a series of papers that the Business Council of Australia will release in the lead-up to the Commonwealth Government’s tax white paper reform process.

It presents a platform for discussion and for building a shared understanding of why tax reform matters, the problems we are seeking to address, and agreement on broad directions and processes on how Australia might embark on comprehensive tax reform.

It outlines why the need for comprehensive and considered tax reform is now urgent and profound in order to keep the economy growing, and to fund a strong social safety net.

The Future of Tax: Australia’s Current Tax System paper outlines:

• why tax reform matters for Australia’s future prosperity
• the characteristics of the current tax system, as a starting point for tax reform
• some future directions for reform, based on this starting point
• some fundamental matters for the upcoming tax white paper process.

The Future of Tax: Australia’s Current Tax System

Speech by Catherine Livingstone to the BCA–PwC Tax Forum