Quote:
Originally Posted by Renato1
Hi Stuart,
As a former Federal Employee myself, I'm not sure why you would take offence. What is the point of creating more jobs, or not slashing jobs that should go, merely to administer a new tax that in net terms raises next to nothing?
It's like paying people to dig holes and then filling them up again.
Or one could swell the size of the ATO by hiring and army or people to check every second-hand transaction on Ebay to ensure that people declared their capital gains on every item sold e.g. they bought a book for a dollar after 1985, and sold it for four dollars now on Ebay. That's a taxable capital gain.
Regards,
Renato
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Well, I thought that you were implying that spending money on Federal employees was a waste of money, I reread your original message and your presumption that it (the garnering of GST on imports >$20) would not be cost effective is based on Peter Costello's thoughts on the matter. He may be right, but it looks like it's here, and it will stay. The productivity commission 2011 report is now four years out of date and is probably based on data from the years before that, I would suggest that with the increased volume of OS internet purchases and some efficiency gains the break even point is approaching quickly, or may have even been reached.
What's wrong with keeping people employed anyway? If this levels out the retail field a bit and encourages people to buy locally, thereby keeping locals employed, keeping local businesses going I'm all for it. When I do buy astro gear new, I try to buy locally, my PMX was an exception as I preordered it from the manufacturer.
Gerry Harvey was a big proponent of this action, which makes me think that it can't be good, but from say a Bintel point of view, I can see advantages.
Oh and CGT only applies to collectables >$500 in value, assuming the book inquisition was a collectable. It is also the taxpayer who should declare any CGT or risk prosecution, so no army required. A few more ATO officers to investigate why 55 Aussie millionaires can pay no income tax would be a good thing.
I thought this Government wasn't into raising taxes?
Cheers
Stuart
