Your say: should we pay less tax?

I earn't a lot of money year before last year. I worked 80hrs per week and made family sacrifices to do so. I was taxed at 48c in the dollar for half my income. I'm sure I paid for a lot of booze and drugs for someone. As a worker of long hours, I don't see why I should be discriminated against with higher tax rates and lay abouts are encouraged. A flat tax rate still demands that that higher paid workers - through working longer hours or better qualifications - still pay more tax, thereby still subsidising the lower paid, pensioners and genuinely dis-adavntaged. I am all for a flat tax. Think it will happen? Not while we reward the lazy in this society.

If you can pay less tax and get away with it....do it! The money only goes to pollies, single mums and dole bludgers anyway! Everything else gets short changed!

It seems to me that the Labor party is all about the uneducated people. They make it worthy for people to not have a proper education and achieve high in careers. We are on a modest income with one child and we are considered high income because we reached over $120 000 combined income. Pay a mortgage, 2 cars, food then all the other bills and we are close to living above our means. The labor government thinks that we don't deserve family tax benefits or bonuses, or maternity payments for our next child when we decide to have one. To me it just seems we would be better off my partner in a lower paid job and me not working at all. The baby bonus was about encouraging people to have kids. We want the educated, well positioned people having families because they're the ones that will lead a good example to our future generation. We don't want people making a career of having kids getting rewarded.

and i enjoy paying tax, even to the point that a friend and i both pay the medicare levy (and not support extortinate insurance) to SUPPORT the public system. We really are LUCKY to have such an effective tax system here, sure it feels like too much, but just look at waht we have, free schooling right up to year 12!!! many many countrys only provide free schooling up to year 6, full fees after that baby! Even in the states (i hear) that high school is expensive= even if just to make sure u go to a good school not a cronically underfunded state school. Speaking of the states- u only have to look there to be thankfull of our medicare! Great roads (mostly free), reasonable Public transport, protction to the unempolyable, reasonable police service, great national parks, free barbques australia over!!! What other country has that!!... i could go on! tax is great!

Of course we pay too much tax, and don't go comparing us with other countries re our cost of living. It has been reliably stated that a 2% tax would cover everything the government needs. However I would go further, when GST came in, the government doubled the tax intake they expected. The same happened in NZ when they brought in GST. GST is the only fair way of taxing people, if you spend, you pay. If you save, you don't pay. Look what happened with Ireland when they 100% tax breaks to the music and other industries. The country is now booming as more products came on the market, people bought and put money into the economy, and everyone is a winner. When you are on a higher salary you tend to spend more, so again, everyone wins. People will work harder if they feel they are getting the benefit. And let's stop importing unhealthy food from China. Pay our own farmers a better wage to produce quality goods here. That also boosts the local economy!

Have fun making all governments work hard to manage their budgets and prove they are responsible. Push to have an amendment included in the next constitutional refendum to limit all Australians to a maximum tax of 20%. Including all levies, excises and government charges. This way all Australians can work for the betterment of our country the equivelent of 1 day per week and to support themselves and their familys 4 days per week. Once someone has taken up their right to pay the maximum tax they can then request the return of all monies illegally levied against them and can sue if the money is not promptly returned. A few high court cases later, we can ask for and get back any money charged to us for council rates, petrol excise, airport departure tax, save the murray levy, emergency services levy etc. All levels of government will be forced to live within their budget and will need to prove how well they are using our taxes to maintain their votes. Not buy them with our money.

Let me get one thing straight. You cant save tax. You can only spend tax. So the rich spend on investing. The government wont need to pay for public services provided by them to the rich so the rich arent the ones causing the tax system to exist. Infact the rich run businesses that emply the average worker so they are helping pay for infrustructure and the things that generate wealth for a country. The average and lower paid all use the public services and should pay tax for it. That is why the government taxes people. However, the real question is about too much tax. If the services for the poor arent enough to cater for them then maybe it isnt the tax system malfunctioning rather the government not allocating the correct amount to what is needed.

definitely dissatisfied. Every time a tax cut or some bonus for so called ‘disadvantaged’ individuals is announced I am upset. I have felt more financial strain in the last eight months than I have ever in the last five years of moving out of the nest (which was a tiny two bedroom unit shared by four people). What I simply want is accommodation, food, and utility prices to fall and my last $900 of tax back. I do however greatly appreciate when (the government’s ie our tax) money is spent on our health care system, the facts are we are in one of the best countries for health care in the world. I would definitely like to see more money spent on health, a oral health care system put in place, and more funds directed towards preventative health.

After hours of working on my tax return with my mother, I burst into tears. "What have I missed?" I asked her. We had checked everything over and over. I work 35 hours a week plus work a home order catalogue business. I shouldn't have rely on a tax return to cover my basic necessities. Gone are my mother’s days when a tax return meant a new pair of leather boots I know you may read this and think sure… it’s just a 24yo girl and her pay is gone on expensive haircuts, cosmetics clothes and partying, I assure you it is not. For the most part rent, basic living costs and education exhaust my funds. I leave for work when it is still dark and I arrive home when it is dark again. I can barely afford to switch on a light led alone buy a car. Owning a car would be an AMAZING help to me. It would mean I could move into a better paying job, perhaps a nightshift one or one slightly out of town. I am caught in a loop, no car, no money, no time. It doesn’t mean that I am not happy, but I am....

Could more tax pd, be put back into the pocket of the people who need it. example the youth of the community.