Federal budget....

[daffodil]

...we had to have, apparently!

http://business.smh.com.au/business/big ... -b1qr.html

Need to look at more closely but yet again going to be pernalised in the healthcare and Super areas , quel surpise.

Kind of pisses me off when I hear of backpackers getting Kev's stimulus package payment for a start. GRRR.

[Kooky]

Um, we got it (Was gobsmacked until I realised Neo had only had 2 months' pay that tax year and the fact he paid tax qualified him. Feel a bit guilty, really.)

Not sure I can cope with reading budget stuff after a day analysing lots of data, but I really should start taking an interest now I'm a real person, earn money, pay tax, etc. I guess.

[daffodil]

Suspect you may actually use it for it's intended purpose rather than stimulating the economy of New Zealand or wherever backpackers go when they leave here.

[Tas]

yep all the 457 visa people I know got it too. hope they're around for the next 10 years to help pay off the deficit (sorry Kooky). and my boss was telling me article he read said it was being deposited into accounts irrespective of current residency. so people in the UK were getting it to. stoopid f'ckers in treasury, I might be forced to vote Liberal at the next election.

my 'stimulus' is sitting in the bank. It's going to be used to pay off my private health from the looks of it. it was the one and only thing I ever got from govt. which by the way I was forced into by the legislated age index thing.

from Mark Metherell
-Couples on 150k, Singles on 75k rebate reduced from 30% to 20%
-Couple 240k, Singles on 120k rebate reduced to 10%
-Budget papers state 14% of single taxpayers who have incomes 75k receive about 28% of the total health insurance rebate paid to singels. Under changes, these tax payers will recieve about 12% of rebates. Figures for couples are comparable

[Burbage]

What is this health care rebate anyway? Is this the one where you get a rebate when you spend more than $1500 on healthcare?

Are we being taxed any more?

[slinky]

and my boss was telling me article he read said it was being deposited into accounts irrespective of current residency. so people in the UK were getting it to. stoopid f'ckers in treasury, I might be forced to vote Liberal at the next election.

But did those people pay Australian taxes last year? I'm guessing the 'stimulus' is based on taxes paid last year much like last year's US stimulus was. We received that one & I don't feel a bit bad about getting it given that we've paid US taxes the whole time we've lived outside the country.

[Burbage]

The people who paid most taxes didn't get the stimulus anyway.

[daffodil]

and my boss was telling me article he read said it was being deposited into accounts irrespective of current residency. so people in the UK were getting it to. stoopid f'ckers in treasury, I might be forced to vote Liberal at the next election.

But did those people pay Australian taxes last year? I'm guessing the 'stimulus' is based on taxes paid last year much like last year's US stimulus was. We received that one & I don't feel a bit bad about getting it given that we've paid US taxes the whole time we've lived outside the country.

You are a US citizen with past investement in the US and probably future intention to support the US economy, not someone on a temporary visa working a few casual jobs in a 12 month period and buggering off again. And for whom I am now indirectly paying to fund their bonus to be spent offshore.

[Fat Bob]

So, just to annoy Daff, how do I get one of these jobs to get tax back to spend elsewhere?

[slinky]

But did those people pay Australian taxes last year? I'm guessing the 'stimulus' is based on taxes paid last year much like last year's US stimulus was. We received that one & I don't feel a bit bad about getting it given that we've paid US taxes the whole time we've lived outside the country.

You are a US citizen with past investement in the US and probably future intention to support the US economy, not someone on a temporary visa working a few casual jobs in a 12 month period and buggering off again. And for whom I am now indirectly paying to fund their bonus to be spent offshore.

Ah, well, that paints it in a bit of a different light then. Sounds like we're not talking about Aussie citizens who are living overseas then (and who paid taxes last year). Apples & oranges then, sounds like. Carry on

[Kooky]

slinks, 457 visa people are Temp Residents sponsored to come here by employers. Like backpackers, if they earned in the tax year and then pissed off, they still get the dosh.

All going well, certain 457 holders will not be pissing off anywhere as their PR application is underway and they hope to be paying obscenely large amounts of tax in Australia for many years to come.

edit: And there's nothing to stop PRs or immigrant (dual) citizens from pissing off back home either, as many seem to do each year. Then there's the Aussies who have moved abroad...or the ones that will spend it in Bali...the list goes on

[Dinosaur]

What is tax?

[Burbage]

What is this health care rebate anyway? Is this the one where you get a rebate when you spend more than $1500 on healthcare?

Does someone know the answer to this?

[baloo]

The government subsidises your private healthinsurance. It encouraged you to get private health insurance so there would be less burden on the public system.

[Burbage]

The government subsidises your private healthinsurance. It encouraged you to get private health insurance so there would be less burden on the public system.

Are you saying a get a rebate for my private health premium?

[Tas]

To your ealier question Burbage. Yes. If you have a private health care scheme, and picked the option where you pay a min excessof $500 so that you pay higher premiums (for example if you pick the $1000 excess to pay lower premium you are not eligible for rebate) I hadn't actually picked up on the $1500 thing as a total, but yes, that's what it works out to when I did the calculation yesterday.

[Burbage]

Thanks Tas, that's what I thought it was.

And you only get a rebate on the money you spend over and above the $1500. I did have a claim on this in my hernia year. Got about $20 rebate if I remember rightly.

If you're so sick that you spend past $1500 a year in gap payments, you'd be better off emigrating to Sweden.

[canuck]

I paid my tax, how kind of them to thank me for helping build their nation

[slinky]

I paid my tax, how kind of them to thank me for helping build their nation

Who's 'them'? Singapore?

I don't think I've ever been thanked by Uncle Sam for paying my taxes......

[canuck]

Singapore Yeah I don't think the Canadian govt ever thanked me either

[Tas]

Burb, I'm not sure. Mines not a gap payment. It's just what I pay total for the privelege of (never)using the private hospital system.

[baloo]

In Billions of AUD, this is where the federal government are spending their hard earned tax dollars

Health: 51.223
General Govt Services: 80.478
Industry and workforce: 13.271
Defence: 20.952
Education: 35.222
Infrastructure Transport and Energy: 13.886
Social security and welfare: 110.994
Community Services and Culture: 12.188

Chnrist, we really are a sickly welfare state with a massive government.

[BoD]

What are general govt services that manage to cost almost as much as health and education combined?

[Tas]

There's a range of govt services that are actually 'frontline' that include respites care, nursing, ambulance, police force, justice department etc - but I'm nor sure how many of those fall under other categories, and the split between federal and state. The other factor is that the majority of the education costs fall under the state budget, only university falls under federal I think.

But what ever Social security and welfare representing 33% of the budget is pretty darned horrifying. I accept the concept of social security for what it is meant for, however I wonder what proportion of that could potentially be productive....

[Tas]

I thinking threatening to hold an early election is a rather silly thing to do over this one, and think Rudds is demonstrating a misunderstanding of the public mood to suggest it. I have a feeling that the opposition are going to say "Bring it On" and feel pretty confident. Pretty sure the govt' haven't performed that sterlingly that they'd be looking at a guaranteed win again, and at a time of economic instability it is one of Liberal govt bargaining chips - Labour takes us to deficit and Liberals got us out of the last one - rights and wrong or truths of the matter won't count much - it's a selling point that would work at the moment.

Turnbull to block key Budget measure[\b\]
Phillip Coorey
May 14, 2009 - 7:30PM

The federal Opposition will block one of the budget's key savings measures - the means testing of the 30 per cent private health insurance rebate.

According to sources, the Opposition leader Malcolm Turnbull is expected to announce the stance in his budget reply speech which is scheduled to start at 7.30pm.

The measure is budgeted to save $1.9 billion over the forward estimates.

The rebate would start being phased out for singles on $75,000 and over, and for couples on over $150,000.

The Government has threatened that its budget needs to be passed in its entirety.

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has held out the prospect of an early election to protect the "integrity of the budget" and the Treasurer, Wayne Swan, said all the savings were necessary to fund the pension increases.

Phil Coorey is the Herald's Chief Political Correspondent