In recent times mainstream media has put the spotlight on corporate tax affairs. The underlying concern is double non-taxation: that is, that some multinationals are not paying tax on their business profits anywhere in the world – particularly technology companies and firms with high levels of...

Ten days ago I returned from the third meeting of the OECD's Forum on Tax Administration in Korea. Thirty-five economies agreed to work together to address the significant and growing problem of international non-compliance with national tax requirements.Four areas were identified to intensify...

It is with some reserve that I outline the Australian approach to GST administration. I say reserve, because the Australian tax administration is indebted to many tax administrations represented at this 20 year review of the New Zealand GST system. When we introduced the GST into Australia, we...

The implementation of the New Tax System package, which included the GST, was a landmark change to the Australian tax system. Not only did we introduce a GST, but at the same time we implemented a raft of significant tax reforms to Australia's income tax system including a unique Australian...

Your companies are our partners in growing the prosperity of Australia. Last year large corporates contributed 36% of total tax and 53% of the total GST collections. But just because you are big contributors doesn't mean - ipso facto - that you are high risk; rather you should be commended for...

Both Australia and New Zealand today find themselves facing global economic uncertainty, as well as the more nebulous possibilities inherent in rapid globalisation. While some are faring well, many OECD members have seen significant increases in net government debt, stagnant or slow economic...

As any literary detective will tell you, you can often pin the crime on the right criminal when you work out who among the suspects stood to profit. This idea is in fact ancient: the Roman philosopher and statesman Seneca said in the first century AD, 'who profits by a crime commits it.' He also...

How Australians respond to the tough times is a mark of our character. It is a tribute to the resilience of the Queensland community that the focus of people's lives, in many ways at least, is starting to return to normal after not just one but a spate of natural disasters. The fact we are...

The famous American novelist Samuel Langhorne Clemens said the only thing that is consistent in life is change itself. Clemens was a living testament to this philosophy himself and he exchanged his given name for the one that made him famous in his professional writing career - a.k.a Mark Twain....

Ensuring effective management of money invested in self-managed superannuation funds and safeguarding these assets for the future is a critical issue for the community.The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) has a role in ensuring Self Managed Superannuation Funds (SMSFs) comply with the...