Taxation in Australia
Income taxes are the most significant form of taxation in Australia, and collected by the federal government through the Australian Taxation Office. Australian GST revenue is collected by the Federal government, and then paid to the states under a distribution formula determined by the Commonwealth Grants Commission.
Australians pay tax for the provision of healthcare, education, defense, roads and railways and for payments to welfare, disaster relief and pensions.[1]
Definition[edit]
The "classic definition" of a tax used by the High Court derived from Matthews v Chicory Marketing Board (Vic) (1938), where Chief Justice John Latham stated that a tax was "a compulsory exaction of money by a public authority for public purposes, enforceable by law, and is not a payment for services rendered". In a series of judgments under the Mason court – including Air Caledonie International v Commonwealth (1988), Northern Suburbs General Cemetery Reserve Trust v Commonwealth (1993), and Australian Tape Manufacturers Association Ltd v Commonwealth (1993) – the court broadened the Matthews definition to include amounts not payable to public authorities, such as non-government collection agencies.[2]
History:
Tax law:
Related: