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Friday, 29 October 2021
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Dr Rodney Brown's article last week on taxing the rich and inequality led to a lively discussion. As a follow up, we republish Oaktree's Howard Marks on the popular 'beer' example to explain the tax system.
At some point, politicians will debate how to reduce the national debt and implement measures aimed at simultaneously easing budget pressures while reducing the gap between rich and poor. Investors should be ready.
Marginal tax brackets are not indexed for inflation, so when people receive salary increases, there is some erosion in proportional take-home pay due to higher tax. But it’s not as bad as it used to be.
The extra 15% Division 293 tax slips easily under the radar, and most people do not realise how it is calculated and how the proposed Labor policy might now capture them.
Labor's franking credit proposal will reduce the income of many retirees who do not believe they are wealthy. Here's an exchange with a reader who just wants an answer to "Is it fair?"
In his latest memo to clients, Oaktree's Howard Marks quotes the popular 'beer' example to explain the tax system, and we reproduce it here.
ETFs are popular investment vehicles but can be complex for tax returns. The ATO classifies them as trusts, and investors, administrators and accountants need to know the details.
Many people are reluctant to plan financially for their death, and it's not simply a matter of passing money to heirs. Far more tax-effective techniques are available which can make inheritance simpler.
For a pension fund with a tax rate of zero, it is better to receive an after-tax dividend of $100 than a company retaining after-tax capital of $70. Why aren't company directors asked about this tax inefficiency?
The added complexity of the new superannuation rules increases the compliance burden for investors and their advisers, and the requirements around the $1.6 million threshold are especially complex.
The 50% CGT discount has little justification during low inflation and it encourages capital gains over income. The preferable system is the indexation in effect prior to 1999, and it will help housing affordability.
Major reform of Australia's tax laws hits a hurdle when opposition builds to unpopular policies. We have lost the ability to explain and advocate for change, especially when you look at global comparisons.
We tend to forget that house prices often fall. Direct lending controls are more effective than rate rises because macroprudential limits affect the volume of money for housing leaving business rates untouched.
The survey drew a fantastic 2,000 responses with over 1,000 comments and polar opposite views on what is good policy. Do most people believe the home should be in the age pension asset test, and what do they say?
Any policy decision needs to recognise who is affected by a change. It pays to check the data on who pays taxes, who owns assets and who earns the income to ensure an equitable and efficient outcome.
With articles on the pensions assets test read about 40,000 times, 3,500 survey responses and thousands of comments, there was a lot of great reader participation. A few comments added extra insights.
It is hard to think of any area of widespread public concern where the same policies have been pursued for so long, in the face of such incontrovertible evidence that they have failed to achieve their objectives.
There are reasons to believe inflation will stay under control, and although we may see a slowing in the global economy, two companies should benefit from the themes of 'Stable Compounders' and 'Structural Winners'.