Newsletter
Federal Budget Newsletter
PERSONAL TAXATION
Personal tax rates: staged seven-year reform plan starting from 2018–2019
In the 2018–2019 Budget, the Government announced staged tax relief for low and middle income earners. The Government is proposing a major seven-year, three-step plan to reform personal income tax.
Step 1 will see a new, non-refundable low and middle income tax offset from 2018–2019 to 2021–2022, designed to provide tax relief of up to $530 for each of those years. The offset will be delivered on assessment after an individual submits their tax return, and will be in addition to the existing low income tax offset (LITO).
The low and middle income tax offset will provide a benefit of up to $200 for taxpayers with taxable income of $37,000 or less. Between $37,000 and $48,000 of taxable income, the value of the offset will increase at a rate of three cents per dollar to the maximum benefit of $530. Taxpayers with taxable incomes from $48,000 to $90,000 will be eligible for the maximum benefit of $530. From $90,001 to $125,333 of taxable income, the offset will phase out at a rate of 1.5 cents per dollar.
Step 2 will increase the top threshold of the 32.5% tax bracket from $87,000 to $90,000 from 1 July 2018. In 2022–2023, the top threshold of the 19% bracket will increase from $37,000 to $41,000 and the LITO will increase from $445 to $645. The increased LITO will be withdrawn at a rate of 6.5 cents per dollar between incomes of $37,000 and $41,000, and at a rate of 1.5 cents per dollar between incomes of $41,000 and $66,667. The top threshold of the 32.5% bracket will increase from $90,000 to $120,000 from 1 July 2022.
Step 3 from 1 July 2024, the top threshold of the 32.5% bracket will increase from $120,000 to $200,000, removing the 37% tax bracket completely. Taxpayers will pay the top marginal tax rate of 45% from taxable incomes exceeding $200,000 and the 32.5% tax bracket will apply to taxable incomes of $41,001 to $200,000.
The Government says this means that around 94% of all taxpayers are projected to face a marginal tax rate of 32.5% or less in 2024–2025.
Medicare levy, 2017–2018 tax rates unchanged
The Government had proposed to increase the Medicare levy from 2% to 2.5% from 1 July 2019, but has decided not to proceed with this. Presumably the Bills to do this, which are currently before Parliament, will be removed. In an address on 26 April 2018 to the Australian Business Economists in Sydney, the Treasurer said that, due to the improving economy and fiscal position, the Government is “now in a position to give our guarantee to Australians living with a disability and their families and carers that all planned expenditure on the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) will be able to be met in this year’s Budget and beyond without any longer having to increase the Medicare levy”.
At the same time, it has been reported that Shadow Treasurer Chris Bowen has announced that Labor will not proceed with its proposal to increase the Medicare levy by 0.5% (to 2.5%) on those earning above $87,000.
The tax rates and thresholds for the 2017–2018 year remain unchanged.