FED: GST law complex and confusing: Beazley

AAP General News (Australia)
12-03-1998
FED: GST law complex and confusing: Beazley

CANBERRA, Dec 3 AAP - Opposition Leader Kim Beazley today condemned the governments tax
legislation as enormously complex and confusing.

Tax experts today criticised the legislation, introduced into parliament yesterday, as
cumbersome and draconian and expressed concern about further watering down.

Mr Beazley said the legislation gave Australia two taxes open to avoidance and abuse -
income tax and GST.

"You have the income tax system which is very difficult to administer but very necessary
and often avoided," he told reporters.

"Weve now added to it another tax that is readily avoided and therefore complex tax law is
put in place to deal with it.

"So we have now total confusion in potential in our taxation arrangements.

"This is unnecessary and it is unfair and the complexity is just one of its many faults."

The government yesterday introduced 16 bills designed to bring in the 10 per cent GST from
July 1, 2000, and abolish the existing wholesale sales tax system.

AAP rmg/mfh/it

KEYWORD: TAX BEAZLEY (CARRIED EARLIER)

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