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A story that writes itself: working holiday visas, tax incentives and illegal labour
Largely overlooked in the federal budget was a measure that will push more people into the black economy
SOMETIMES you wonder how an idea came about.
A barney is already brewing over the working holiday visa program, and it could get a lot worse. A Senate inquiry is looking at temporary visas; Four Corners has investigated (100) exploitation of backpackers; and the union movement has been running campaigns about the impact of temporary migrants on job opportunities for Australians. Four Corners in particular attracted many responses and was extensively, and deservedly, covered in other media.
So it was surprising to hear that the government has decided to tax working holiday visa holders in Australia at 32.5 cents in the dollar from the first dollar earned. By changing their status to “non-residents for tax purposes (64),” this measure will reportedly raise $540 million (71) over the forward estimates. Shadow treasurer Chris Bowen says (0) Labor supports the change…
Photo: Vijay Chennupati/Flickr
