Wealthier Canberrans paying more tax?

TSI said :

A little reminder to us Canberrans:
Wealthier Canberrans paying more tax?

TAGGED
Brendan Smyth, taxes
By johnboy 12 April, 2011 11

The Liberals’ Brendan Smyth is up in arms that new data from the ABS shows ACT residents have the fastest rising local government taxes in Australia.

In a double hit to Canberra taxpayers, the latest figures released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics, reveal that the ACT recorded the highest percentage increase in taxation per capita – rising 9 per cent.

The ACT also had the second highest rate of taxation for Territory and local services at $3,175 per capita – second only to Western Australia.

“Is it any wonder that Canberra families are struggling to cope with the normal costs of living when they face a $265 per capita increase in taxation compared to the 08-09 financial year?

Thanks for that, I wasn’t 100% sure.

A little reminder to us Canberrans:
Wealthier Canberrans paying more tax?

TAGGED
Brendan Smyth, taxes
By johnboy 12 April, 2011 11

The Liberals’ Brendan Smyth is up in arms that new data from the ABS shows ACT residents have the fastest rising local government taxes in Australia.

In a double hit to Canberra taxpayers, the latest figures released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics, reveal that the ACT recorded the highest percentage increase in taxation per capita – rising 9 per cent.

The ACT also had the second highest rate of taxation for Territory and local services at $3,175 per capita – second only to Western Australia.

“Is it any wonder that Canberra families are struggling to cope with the normal costs of living when they face a $265 per capita increase in taxation compared to the 08-09 financial year?

“Is it any wonder that Canberra families are struggling to cope with the normal costs of living when they face a $265 per capita increase in taxation compared to the 08-09 financial year?”

Families Families Families, should everything be free for Families? Lets have the pensioners and the singles and the childless pay for them, and strew rose petals before them wherever they walk.

I know what I’d like to strew and it’s not rose petals.

Pure and simple, Incompetence comes at a price.

arescarti42 said :

If all that is standing between the highest income earners in the country and “struggling to cope with the normal costs of living” is $265 in taxes, i feel sorry for the rest of Australia.

The number is an average – some wealthy people would be paying a lot more than that. However, since such taxes are coming from things like higher stamp duty, the taxes are somewhat self inflicted by those who can most afford to pay. I’ve paid $100k in stamp duty over the past 7 years to the ACT govt, but it was my choice to perform the activities that incurred the cost.

While less than ideal, I don’t think this is the end of the world.

derr, the only reason we are paying more tax is because we are earning more money.
Not a bad problem to have really

If all that is standing between the highest income earners in the country and “struggling to cope with the normal costs of living” is $265 in taxes, i feel sorry for the rest of Australia.

(Also, if you were to realise that the 08-09 FY was a terrible time for comparing anything based on house prices what with there being an international finanical crisis and instead compare over the last ten financial years, the annual increase is roughly on trend).

But getting rid of some stamp duty wouldn’t be a bad political move.

So, is he calling for abolishment of Stamp Duty, or just having a whinge?

Most of this per-capita increase is due to population barely increasing over the year (6000 people, or an increase of 1.8%), while the ACTGovt pillaged from the population on Conveyancing stamp duties.

Checked the ABS datacube:

Growth areas for ACT Taxtion Income comparing 2009-10 sources to 2008-09 sources:

Taxes on government lotteries: +$1mil
Taxes on private lotteries: +$1mil
Stamp duty on vehicle registration: +$3mil

Employers’ payroll taxes: +$3mil
Taxes on insurance: +$7mil
Municipal rates: +$9mil
Land taxes: +$12mil
Stamp Duties on Conveyances: +$87mil

Other stamp duties: -$17mil

Total Change 09-10 from 08-09:
+$113 million

Publicly funded art for a start – I seem to have a bee in my bonnet about this don’t I? The money saved by removing funding from public art would be small, but, as has been attributed to Everett Dirksen, “A billion here, a billion there, and pretty soon you’re talking real money.”