treasury campaigns for simpler tax system

[freediver]

End of the tax return is near: Treasury boss

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/st ... 71,00.html

TAX-FREE dividends could be scrapped along with requirements to complete individual tax returns under a Treasury drive to radically simplify the tax system.

The chairman of the Government's tax review, Treasury head Ken Henry, said the review was aiming to slash the cost of complying with an excessively complex tax system.

"This system complexity acts like an additional tax, but the worst kind of tax: a tax that provides no revenue, is indiscriminate in whom it affects and serves little social value," he told the National Press Club in Canberra yesterday.

Describing the tax system as overly complex, Dr Henry cited the fact that 73 per cent of the 11.5million tax returns each year were completed by tax agents, whereas in New Zealand only 30per cent were.

"We'd like to reduce this complexity, although it's naive to think that we can remove all of it," he said.

In New Zealand, most taxpayers do not have to complete tax returns and a standard deduction is offered for work-related expenses. This step has long been canvassed in Australia.

[Jovial Monk]

Hear hear, fucking tax system is wayyyy too complex, and I am just a wage slave!

That 'churn' of tax to govt then rebates back, mostly involving middleclass welfare, has to be removed! Small govt forever!