Australia's company tax: options for fiscally sustainable reform

Abstract

The Australian Government proposes to reduce the company tax rate from 30 to 25 per cent. However, there are widespread concerns that the fiscal cost is not affordable. This paper considers alternative reforms of corporate taxation that could fund a corporate tax rate cut, while addressing key non-neutralities in the corporate tax system in an international context. We examine the case for abolition of dividend imputation in favour of a lower headline company tax rate and consider the spectrum of reform options for the corporate tax base, which ranges from the cash flow tax and allowance for corporate equity or capital to a comprehensive business income tax which would eliminate interest deductibility. These measures (which could co-exist in a hybrid system) might be accompanied by discounts on dividend and interest income at the personal level, in replacement of dividend imputation.