The role of inflation in determining the merits of different forms of capital gains taxation is widely misunderstood. This paper finds the discount is not always more generous than the previous system and can produce very high effective rates of taxation on real capital gains because taxation is levied on both real and inflationary gains.

One objective of Australia’s capital gains tax (CGT) discount is to approximate inflation and tax real gains. But because real returns vary widely across investors, a flat discount systematically misses the mark. Using data on 1.5 million property investments (2008–2025), this paper shows real returns range from losses to strong gains.

This paper proposes a targeted income tax cut for low-income workers by increasing the Low Income Tax Offset (LITO). The LITO is an automatic tax refund that low-income earners receive when they lodge their tax return. The paper reveals key beneficiaries would be young people and those in regional areas, with National Party electorates benefiting...

A detailed examination of data from the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) and Australia’s National Accounts reveals that wage growth is not responsible for the recent uptick in inflation. It concludes that the RBA’s latest interest rate hike fails to address the bigger driver of inflation – surging company profits – but it blames the...

Under the International Monetary Fund (IMF’s) Articles of Agreement, the IMF holds bilateral discussions with members, usually every year. The IMF concluded the Article IV consultation with Australia on February 9, 2026. It finds the Australian economy is managing a soft landing and economic recovery is expected to continue in the near-term.