Figures show Morrison Government collecting more tax than previous governments
Figures show the Morrison Government is collecting more tax than previous governments, but the Treasurer argues there’s a reason for it.
National
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Scott Morrison is collecting $9600 more tax from each household in Australia today than when the Liberal Government was first elected in 2013.
Despite the introduction of big personal income tax cuts, a new analysis claims tax receipts per person still rose by $4504 between 2013-14 and 2021-22.
Labor’s analysis of budget papers reveals the Morrison Government is collecting $4500 more tax for each Australian and $9600 more tax for each household than the last Labor Government.
But Treasurer Josh Frydenberg argues that’s because more people are in work, which means the tax take per person is still lower.
As the war of words over tax heats up in the lead-up to the election, Mr Frydenberg continues to claim that the Liberal Party is the party of lower taxes.
However, Labor’s treasury spokesman Jim Chalmers said that even adjusting for inflation, the Government’s tax take in real terms increased by $1867 per person between 2013-14 and 2021-22.
“Taxes have been higher every year under this Coalition Government than what it inherited from Labor in 2013,’’ Dr Chalmers said.
“The two highest taxing governments of the last three decades have both been Coalition Governments – under John Howard and Scott Morrison.”
The figures show the Morrison Government is collecting an extra $150 billion this year than the last year of the last Labor Government.
But according to the Treasurer, one reason is that more Australians are working and earning.
Mr Frydenberg said tax rates were indisputably lower, but there are more than 1.7 million more people in work.
More than 11 million workers will pocket almost $10 billion in tax cuts in the first half of the year, according to Treasury Department analysis.
“Our economic plan is ensuring that hardworking Australians keep more of what they earn,” Mr Frydenberg said this week.
“In the December quarter, an additional $5.3 billion flowed into the pockets of more than 11.7 million Australians.
“This brings the total amount of tax cuts that have flowed over the last six months to $15.5 billion, the largest of their kind in two decades, leaving the average taxpayer $1320 better off.”
Dr Chalmers, however, said the latest Liberal scare campaign over tax was an increasingly desperate attempt to distract from their diabolical failures on rapid antigen tests, vaccine boosters, supply chain problems, wages and debt.
Originally published as Figures show Morrison Government collecting more tax than previous governments
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