Improving Taxes and Transfers in Australia by Philip Hemmings, Annamaria Tuske published by OECD (2015).
“Getting tax and transfer systems to efficiently deliver sufficient revenues to achieve macroeconomic targets, address goals in re-distribution and social welfare, encourage employment, accommodate businesscompetitiveness concerns and incorporate environmental issues is difficult. In Australia, slowing economic growth in the wake of the mining boom has sharpened the trade-offs and brought into focus the importance of encouraging broad-based advances in employment and productive capacity while also dealing with other long-term challenges, in particular population ageing and greenhouse-gas emission reduction. This review particularly recommends shifting away from income taxation to indirect taxation, for instance by raising more revenue from the Goods and Services Tax. The report also advises caution in some recent welfarereform proposals, and advocates broad support for business rather than targeted subsidies and other forms of corporate welfare. As regards environmental policies, the report comments on the proposed Emission Reduction Fund for reducing greenhouse gases and supports reform to vehicle-related taxation.”
Federal-State Relations in Australia by Vassiliki Koutsogeorgopulou, Annamaria Tuske published by OECD (2015).
Australia’s inter-governmental fiscal relations have gradually moved towards greater centralisation. State governments receive sizeable transfers from the federal government and own revenues only partially cover their expenses. Finding the right balance between federal control and state autonomy in public service provision and its financing has not been easy. Over time various compromises have somewhat blurred responsibilities in various functional areas or reduced incentives to raise sub-national revenues potentially affecting public sector efficiency and service quality. A better balance, one in which central government has less steerage over state activities and states have more financing autonomy but also bear increased responsibility is likely to improve outcomes. Federal-state shared responsibilities continue to affect the efficiency of healthcare service delivery in particular. A clearer delineation of roles in shared functions and possibly a reallocation of responsibilities in some cases, are important. There is also scope to reduce federal grant conditionality further to contain red tape and enhance transparency and give the states a more flexible allocation of funds. Strengthening states’ revenueraising by broadening existing tax bases would promote efficiency. Consideration could be given to the introduction of a state-level income tax. The government’s current review of the federal system, focusing on both spending and tax responsibilities, is welcome, as is the “whole of government” approach to the process.
