Yes I have worked for businesses where the wife is on the books, never seen in the business, does it all from home.
Butch you once claimed it was okay for small business to pocket the GST on the grounds they were just getting some back, so they could survive, did you not? I don't know about you, and your bags of bones. I understand as a purveyor of rotting flesh (all meat once dead is rotting) you are exempt from GST. But give Tax'em Tony time and 15% on everything will be the go. Small Business can then rip off even more!
What about small business which is pocketing GST to the tune of $7 billion p/a, is it okay or not? Simple question.

Paul, I dont support any form of tax evasion, which includes collecting and not passing on the GST. I do however have no problem with tax minimization, for two reasons, one being the risks now involved in small business, as most stand a better chance of failure, than success, and two, because governments can't be trusted to spend our taxes wisely or efficiently, that's why I feel donations, which are tax deductible, hit the spot.

Now while many may disapprove of that, there is nothing more frustrating than to know you can loose everything at any time in business and, that your taxes are helping bludgers to enjoy their sleep in, or illegals placing a drain on the system.

As for my share of taxes, I paid my share from my wage, which by the way was generally set at around the national average. Not too much to ask for 70 to 80 hour weeks. My wife was my book keeper and earned a bit less. I even got charged for what was known as good for own use. So call me right or wrong, but I did pay my fair share of tax.

GST. Rather than raise the tax, they should broaden it to cover everything (except health and education) then allow pensioners and low income earners, nit gift recipients, to claim back their tax from Medicare or centerlink.

I say this because high income earners can afford the tax as they don't require 100% of their income for essentials.

Of cause any of this comes a distant second in my view to a true finacial transaction tax, but no government wants to go there.

SM,

".....You and your ilk consider it sinful that we earn more than you..."

Well, Lol!...(I find that kinda funny)...SM is so sure he earns more than my family.

Okay Bwana, whatever you say.

: )

So I see the tought of a levy has gone down like a lead balloon with the high income earners.

Quite understandable considering they are the ones who provided the taxes that were wasted by labor that caused this mess.

Everyone should be shouldering this burden.

Poirot,

I take your evasion of my first comment to mean that you also take advantage of tax rebates to avoid paying excess tax, making you (according to you) a pitiful greedy capitalist.

If you are earning more than us, good for you. I had assumed that from the poverty of logic in your posts that you were a low ranking bureaucrat.

Seven months in office, and the coalition has *DOUBLED* the deficit. They are financially inept. Till then, Australia's financial books were close to the best in the world, and this was duly recognised the world over (but of course not by the uninformed, politically correct far right wingers on this forum, who have their barrow to push).