Unions question Hockey’s corporate tax avoidance ommission

TAX reform has received wide support from retailers and taxpayers groups – but a union has questioned why Treasurer Joe Hockey has not raised corporate tax avoidance as a concern.

The Treasury released a tax reform white paper on Monday calling for the existing system to be simplified.

The white paper did not rule out raising the GST but said all states and territories would need to agree before it could increase.

United Voice national director David O’Byrne said the conversation needed to include corporate tax avoidance.

“Today the Treasurer said he wanted a ‘discussion’ on tax reform, so why won’t he address tax avoidance?” he said.

“The discussion paper mentions tax avoidance 25 times. But the only solution it proposes is a cut to the company tax rate. Cutting the corporate tax rate is a lame and lazy way to increase tax compliance.”

Shadow treasurer Chris Bowen said any new taxes were a broken election promise from the government.