Here’s a corker for you: Last year, Aussies forked over a whopping $34 billion in federal income taxes. That’s an average of $144,000 per head, right? Sounds steep! But get this: while Joe and Jane Average were digging deep into their pockets, the big corporate guns were paying $154 billion. Hold up, though—it sounds like a lot, but when you break it down, ordinary folks are shelling out double what businesses do! Bit of an eye-opener, isn’t it?
Now, if you’re an everyday taxpayer, you might feel like you’re in a tax nightmare, paying through the nose while trying to keep up with the tax man breathing down your neck. Unlike big companies with armies of accountants and tax advisors to find every loophole, the average Joe just has to cop it sweet.
And if you caught the chat from former PM Howard, you’ll know there’s a bit of a stoush over economic policies. He’s thrown a few verbal punches at current approaches, saying they’re undoing decades of economic reform. Big government, big spending, right? Seems like every time there’s a hiccup, the answer is to throw more taxpayer cash at it, picking winners and propping up projects.
Then there’s the cherry on top: EV policies. The government’s pushing hard, saying it’ll make electric vehicles cheaper. But when a new electric ute hits the market at a quarter of a mil, you’ve got to wonder if they’re dreaming! Good luck finding a tradie who’d cough up that much for a ute. It’s like the Ford Edsel debacle all over again, and we’re not even talking about the future where petrol and diesel might be museum pieces.
So, what’s the big picture? It’s a tangle of taxes, policies, and big promises. And for the average Aussie, it feels like you’re always coming up short while the big end of town finds new ways to keep their slice of the pie. Time for a fair go, wouldn’t you say?
