Along with Canada, Chile, Mexico and New Zealand, Australia is one of only five countries in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) that continues to operate a full imputation tax system where all corporate tax is credited to domestic shareholders. Malta, a non-OECD country, also has a full imputation system. The OECD lists Korea and the United Kingdom as operating partial imputation systems. However, as the tax credits provided in these countries are not linked to the amount of corporate tax paid, these are not true imputation tax systems. Many countries have shifted away from imputation systems, including the United Kingdom (1999), Ireland (1999), Germany (2001), Singapore (2003), Italy (2004), Finland (2005), France (2005), Norway (2006) and Malaysia (2008).

An overlooked aspect of the debate surrounding Australia’s dividend imputation system is the international experience with dividend imputation. Between 1999 and 2008, nine countries removed their dividend imputation systems. A number of questions arise. What was the motivation for removing imputation? How were dividends taxed after imputation was removed? What happened to corporate tax rates? And ultimately, what are the lessons for Australia? This paper seeks to provide answers to these questions.