Q. Would you support or oppose cutting income tax and raising the GST to 15%?
| Total
|
Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | Vote other | ||
| Total support | 27% | 18% | 41% | 17% | 29% | |
| Total oppose | 52% | 63% | 43% | 64% | 53% | |
| Strongly support | 7% | 4% | 13% | 2% | 3% | |
| Support | 20% | 14% | 28% | 15% | 26% | |
| Oppose | 26% | 25% | 28% | 29% | 26% | |
| Strongly oppose | 26% | 38% | 15% | 35% | 27% | |
| Don’t know | 21% | 19% | 16% | 19% | 18% |
The majority (52%) of Australians are opposed to cutting income tax and raising the GST to 15%. 27% support this policy.
Although more likely than the average to support this policy (41%), in total a slightly larger proportion of Liberal/National voters oppose it (43%).
Labor (63%) and Greens (64%) voters were more likely to oppose this policy.
Males (33%) were more likely than females (20%) to support this policy. Likewise females (51%) were more likely than males (43%) to oppose it.
Opposition was high across the three largest states with 49% in NSW, 47% in QLD and 45% in VIC opposing this policy. 25% in NSW, 29% in QLD and 28% in VIC support the policy.
Q. Would you support or oppose increasing the GST if income taxes were reduced at the same time?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | Vote Other | ||
| Total support | 38% | 30% | 52% | 32% | 39% | |
| Total oppose | 42% | 52% | 33% | 57% | 43% | |
| Strongly support | 10% | 7% | 17% | 5% | 6% | |
| Support | 28% | 23% | 35% | 27% | 33% | |
| Oppose | 23% | 26% | 21% | 23% | 25% | |
| Strongly oppose | 19% | 26% | 12% | 24% | 18% | |
| Don’t know | 20% | 18% | 15% | 20% | 18% |
38% support increasing the GST if income taxes were reduced at the same time and 42% oppose.
A majority (52%) of Liberal/National voters support increasing GST and a majority of Labor (52%) and Greens voters (57%) oppose.
For those on higher incomes ($1,600+ pw), 50% support and 32% oppose.
Q. Do you consider that the amount of income tax you pay is too high, too low or about right?
|
Total
|
|
Vote Labor |
Vote Lib/Nat |
Vote Greens |
Vote other |
|
| Too high |
42% |
41% |
42% |
40% |
41% |
|
| About right |
40% |
39% |
46% |
47% |
38% |
|
| Too low |
3% |
2% |
2% |
5% |
6% |
|
| Not sure |
15% |
18% |
10% |
8% |
15% |
42% think that the amount of income tax they pay is too high and 40% think it is about right.
Those more likely to think it is too high were full-time workers (52%), aged 35-54 (52%) and incomes over $1,600 pw (49%).
Those more likely to think it is about right were aged 55+ (53%) and incomes $1,000-$1,600 pw (47%).
Carbon Tax, Essential Report, GST, income tax, Mining tax, negative gearing, Polling, tax
Q. For each of the following proposals around tax reform, please indicate whether you strongly support, support, oppose or strongly oppose the suggestion.
| Total Support | Total Support – Labor | Total Support – Lib/Nat | Total Support – Greens | ||
| Decreasing income tax for low income earners | 81% | 85% | 81% | 81% | |
| Improving tax breaks for small-medium business | 76% | 74% | 85% | 71% | |
| Increasing the mining tax | 47% | 67% | 35% | 72% | |
| Abolishing negative gearing on new property purchases | 33% | 37% | 33% | 38% | |
| Cutting the company tax rate | 32% | 24% | 43% | 25% | |
| Repealing the fringe benefits tax | 30% | 25% | 40% | 22% | |
| Increasing the carbon tax | 19% | 29% | 8% | 60% | |
| Introducing an inheritance tax | 10% | 14% | 10% | 18% | |
| Increasing the goods and services tax (GST) | 9% | 7% | 12% | 12% |
Labor voters are far more likely to support increasing the mining tax (47% total support) and increasing the carbon tax (29% total support).
Coalition voters are more likely to support improving tax breaks for small-medium business (85% total support), cutting the company tax rate (43% total support), repealing the fringe benefits tax (40% total support) and increasing the GST (12% total support).
Greens voters are the most likely to support increasing the mining tax (72%) and by far the most likely to support increasing the carbon tax (60% total support). They are also more likely to support introducing an inheritance tax (18% total support) and increasing the GST (12% total support).