Just suppose it were an honour to pay tax to support the Commonwealth. Just suppose each year, when all the returns are in - or most of them anyway, the newspapers could publish the list of the biggest income tax payers, and also the lowest. We could all cheer and give kudos to those who have done their bit, and we could shame those who have succeeded in evading their fair share of tax. It is impractical I know, but a nice dream.

Yeh lets just make the whole world a little more volatile and aggravated shall we -- dumb thought and I hope it never happens. It is bad enough that the whole of Australia finds out what the kids get in their HSC :(

I think it's an idea worth thinking about.

Why are so many people desperate to keep their financial truths secret?

I dont think that it is that people want to keep it a secret as such. But you have to admit people get a little funny about what other people get away with. Personally I think it the worst manners to ask anyone about their financial situation and then to be able to read about it in a newspaper basically they are no better than people who read the death and funeral ads in the daily paper.