There should be one flat rate for GST
Camera IconThere should be one flat rate for GST Credit: Supplied/Getty Images/iStockphoto

Opinion: Make the GST fairer

Chris Scheltema, ArmadaleComment News

X R LFAIR AX OR LL

THERE are so many ‘ideas’ and proposals relating to the already complicated tax system that it is almost impossible for the average person to navigate through it.

Sometimes I wonder if this is done deliberately to confuse and silence.

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I personally would not mind if the GST is pushed up by 5 or 7 per cent, with no exclusions on certain products or services, if it means everyone is paying equally.

A lot of the things everybody squeals for would be attainable if the government got a few extra pennies to cover the bills with.

Increase the tax-free threshold to $50,000 to cater for the lower income people like myself and lower the percentage of tax on a sliding scale above that.

Companies should pay GST with no exclusions and then be evenly taxed on their profit. They should be allowed to send a small percentage of their gains to an overseas holding company – perhaps 15 per cent.

Any movement of money in or out of this country should be very well monitored and controlled.

Any person buying a franchise knows that you do not get to keep only 5 per cent of the profits while forking the rest over.

Why should it work this way for big business and no-one says a thing? Also, inflating the cost of loans, equipment, products and services to be able to send the bulk of monies out should be a crime. They get away with this too easily.

I also think that there are too many opportunities for ‘depreciation or write offs’.

They should only have a slight benefit when replacing an existing integral capital item and not every piece of paper used.

What happened to the normal cost of doing business? At the moment everyone, except the companies, are paying for them to have plush offices and drive flashy cars, while the ‘poor’ guy out there struggles to make ends meet. We are funding their lavish lifestyles.

There are too many ‘unfair’ concessions for (big) businesses. Some exist on the benefits of our tax loopholes and send their profits out.

They are within the law allowed to send all their gains bled from the Australian consumer/taxpayer out of this country to a front in a tax-haven on the other side of the world.

As this is allowed to happen, they should also allow individuals to get paid under the table and then hide the money under their mattress so that they don’t have to pay tax on it.

If it is good for those companies, surely it must be good for the individual as well? We seem to be intimidated by them.

Does anyone for one moment think that companies such as Apple will stop trading in Australia if we put an end to their legalised ‘theft’?

I think it is time we put our foot down and make it fair for all, big or small, rich or poor.

CHRIS SCHELTEMA,

Armadale.