2018-05-09
The Greens have used ATO income statistics to highlight that the Turnbull Government’s tax cuts for high income earners will disproportionately benefit men, and leave women in low- and middle-income jobs at a comparative disadvantage.
“We know that women are much more likely to be on a lower income and the Budget’s disproportionately higher tax handouts to high income earners shows just where this Government prioritises the equality of women,” said Senator Janet Rice, Greens spokesperson for women.
“ATO figures show that more than two thirds of people who earn over $87,000 per year in Australia are men*. This means that men will overwhelmingly get the benefit of a less progressive tax system, which is what the Turnbull Government has put forward in its Budget.”
“This Budget was an opportunity to address inequality, and the Turnbull Government missed its chance to tackle tax avoidance and make sure the super rich were paying their fair share.”
“Coupled with inadequate funding to address family and domestic violence, cuts to foreign aid, nothing to address housing affordability, and no further detail about their women’s economic security commitments, this Government is making inequality worse for women,” said Senator Rice.
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* According to the most recently published taxation statistics (for FY 2015-16) there are currently 701,240 women and 1,633,365 men with a taxable income over $87,616, which means 70.0% of the beneficiaries of the abolition of the 37.5% marginal tax rate will be men. What’s more, at the very top end of the income scale, 73,633 women and 230,883 men have a taxable income over $202,630 per year, which means 75.8% of recipients of the full $7,225 tax cut will be men.