Tax

Lets call for an official end to talking about tax reform and simply demand action.

Look, last week’s Tax Forum was interesting and there appeared to be a lot of goodwill from the delegates for change. But it was the same old issues being rehashed by the same people from the same special interest group with the same agendas.

A common theme seemed to be continual reference to last year’s Henry Report on tax reform. The Henry report seems to have taken on the mantle of being the benchmark and reference point for any discussion on Tax Reform.

It would have been simpler and cheaper to have just adopted Ken Henry’s report in the first place. If the Federal Government wanted any assurances that the Henry Report is the blueprint for our future tax system, then they would have received that message loud and clear from the Tax Forum delegates.

Another thing which became clear was that the toughest issues of tax reform are being lumped in with the “no-brainers” to a point where nothing is happening. The big tax issues are distracting everyone from getting the easy ones done.

Like anything, tax reform is all about momentum. Once you get reform going the process generates its own enthusiasm and resources to get things done.

That’s where we are now.

The Federal Government needs to now provide a clear blueprint of the way forward. A sort of “to-do” list on tax reform.

But that To-do list should divide Tax Reform up in to the no-brainers which can be done right now, the achievable reforms which need a little bit more work and the controversial reforms which need a lot more work.