Friday, February 09, 2018

Chris Jordan’s Tax Office: The Big End of Town and beyond.

The fundamental goal that I have is for interactions with the Tax Office to be infrequent, quick and painless
~ Chris Jordan FCA Commissioner of the Australian Tax Office
 

John Perry Barlow, the prolific Grateful Dead lyricist who collaborated with Bob Weir from 1971-1995, visionary internet pioneer, political activist, co-founder of the Electronic Frontier Foundation and author of many thoughtful essays including the widely read “A Declaration of the Independence of Cyberspace“, sadly passed away in his sleep on February 6, 2018 at the age of 70. Friends, family and fans have taken to social media to express their sadness at the loss of such an incredible man.

Remembering John Perry Barlow, co-founder of Freedom of the Press

  Media Dragons using computers in the 80s/90s (Corey Haim, Shakira, Brad Pitt, Christian Bale) and me using a computer in 1996 




“The Commission's presentation even suggests that the UK could be added to the EU's blacklist of 'uncooperative' tax jurisdictions…”

RSM (slides presented to the Council Working Party, PDF)



Former treasurer Wayne Swan to bow out of federal politics

Clamping Down on Tax Evasion



Jotwell (2016)Omri Marian (UC-Irvine), What We Now Know We Didn't Know About Tax Evasion (And Why It Matters) (JOTWELL) (reviewing Annette Alstadsæter, Niels Johannesen & Gabriel Zucman, Tax Evasion and Inequality (NBER Working Paper No. 23772 (2017)):
Over the past several years, a series of leaks related to offshore tax avoidance and evasion (SwissLeaksLuxLeaksthe Panama PapersBahama Leaks, and Paradise Papers, to name a few) has fueled calls for tax transparency. To date, most discussion of the leaks has been policy-oriented (leaks: good or bad?) and largely anecdotal (based on some truly outrageous revelations). It was not until very recently, however, that a small group of researches started delving into the data exposed by these leaks to make statistically significant empirical findings. AlstadsæterJohannesen & Zucman’s (AJZ) paper is an excellent example of such paper, which combines methodological sophistication, public data, and leaked data, to make important new contributions to the voluminous literature on the offshore tax world. ...

Five years down the track, the ATO is getting on better with taxpayers – but it’s still exchanging friendly fire with tax agents.
  • Chris Jordan is widely regarded as having had a successful first five years as Australia’s Tax Commissioner.
  • The ATO is turning its focus from multinationals to individuals and small businesses.
  • Jordan intends to keep pursuing tax system automation.
Anyone who accepts the job of tax commissioner will face doubters. When Chris Jordan FCA took the role in 2012, he recalls with a grin: “I had a lot of friends and colleagues quite helpfully saying: ‘Are you mad? What do you think you’re doing?’”
Chris Jordan’s Tax Office: The Big End of Town and beyond


Media Dragon: Tax Chief: Chris Jordan Exclusive Inteviews


Media Dragon: Chris Jordan: Tax crackdown targets wealthy cheats

 


Capital-gains sting by tax office for Airbnb hosts

Analysts find 'improbable' mortgage data

Home loan borrowers could be hiding how much they earn but analysts aren't sure whether they are lying to their banks, the ATO, the census or the Australian Bureau of Statistics. ...

Quote of the week:
"You take offence far to easily at times even when something is said in jest you might take offence."