# You can make a pre-Budget submission for the 2018-19 Budget until 15 December 2017 (NOW 31/1/18)



## Jack Malarkey (Jan 11, 2016)

The 2018-19 federal Budget is scheduled to be handed down on Tuesday 8 May 2018 by the Treasurer.

You can make a pre-Budget submission until Friday 15 December 2017 via the Treasury website: https://consult.treasury.gov.au/bud...s/consultation/subpage.2017-09-12.9199223832/.

Topics of particular interest to rideshare drivers include the imminent demise of the $20,000 instant asset writeoff and various GST matters.

The instant asset writeoff is due to end for acquisitions of assets from 1 July 2018. It was extended in this year's Budget but only for one year to 30 June 2018.

You may wish to submit that the instant asset writeoff be made permanent or (failing that) be further extended by, say, three years.

The instant asset writeoff is important for the cash-flow of many rideshare drivers and small business taxpayers generally. It also helps ensure a younger car fleet with attendant safety advantages.

The imminent demise of the writeoff would result in a tax detriment not only for the purchase of many cars but also for the purchase of most smartphones: that cost would typically no longer be claimable in a single year but would need to be spread over several years.

In relation to GST, you may wish to submit that GST be imposed not on drivers but on 'cab aggregators' (including Uber) along the lines of that recently adopted in India for their newly introduced GST (see https://uberpeople.net/threads/new-gst-in-india-cab-aggregators-need-to-register.179763/).

Alternatively, you might argue for the removal of the discriminatory measure (unique to Australia) against those who provide taxi services (including rideshare services), who don't benefit from the $75,000 threshold.

This might involve indexing the threshold for all enterprises from when introduced and then indexing annually. This would largely do away with the problem of some drivers being under the threshold and others over it as very few drivers would ever be over it. (This is the case in the United Kingdom with their much higher threshold for VAT: see https://uberpeople.net/threads/australian-gst-vat-case-on-uber-travel.142511/ on the London forum).

An alternative approach would be to remove the threshold for all enterprises.

Remember that any pre-Budget submission you make is due by Friday 15 December.


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## Icecool (Feb 8, 2016)

Jack Malarkey said:


> The 2018-19 federal Budget is scheduled to be handed down on Tuesday 8 May 2018 by the Treasurer.
> 
> You can make a pre-Budget submission until Friday 15 December 2017 via the Treasury website: https://consult.treasury.gov.au/bud...s/consultation/subpage.2017-09-12.9199223832/.
> 
> ...


I wouldn't bother doing any submissions the government will never listen to you . It a waste of time


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## Jack Malarkey (Jan 11, 2016)

In the recent British Budget, it was announced that the Government would consult on the VAT registration threshold: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploa...ta/file/661435/VAT_registration_threshold.pdf.


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## 888 (Nov 8, 2017)

Hi Jack, do you know of a submission supporting the removal of "discriminatory measure to remove $75K threshold for P2P service providers?"
I would like to be a party to that submission and I'm sure others would like to be also. I would not make a formal submission myself.


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## MyRedUber (Dec 28, 2015)

888 said:


> Hi Jack, do you know of a submission supporting the removal of "discriminatory measure to remove $75K threshold for P2P service providers?"
> I would like to be a party to that submission and I'm sure others would like to be also. I would not make a formal submission myself.


You would have to get together with the whole taxi and hire car industry. Rideshare pay GST from the first $ for the same reason that they do.


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## Jack Malarkey (Jan 11, 2016)

888 said:


> Hi Jack, do you know of a submission supporting the removal of "discriminatory measure to remove $75K threshold for P2P service providers?"
> I would like to be a party to that submission and I'm sure others would like to be also. I would not make a formal submission myself.


888, I'm not aware of such a submission.


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## Jack Malarkey (Jan 11, 2016)

Just a reminder that any pre-Budget submission you wish to make needs to be received by Friday 15 December.


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## Immoralized (Nov 7, 2017)

Yep we are screwed over with the whole GST from the first dollar knowing 99% of uber drivers will never breach 75k threshold. Unless you are doing 50-70 hours per week.

Probably why they do just cast a wide net with some people failing to register for gst it free 10% they going to make and another barrier towards becoming a driver or staying a driver. Really is silly. I'm not ever going to make 75k in any given year driving uber since i'm never going to be doing 50 hours a week or something crazy like that been my second job.

A lot of stuff you can claim on this year though


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## Jack Malarkey (Jan 11, 2016)

I have made the following pre-Budget submission:

PRE-BUDGET SUBMISSION

1. This submission relates solely to taxation matters and is informed by my present occupation of rideshare driver with Uber.

Small business instant asset writeoff

2. The Government should make the small business instant asset writeoff a permanent feature of the income tax system or at least extend it for another three years from 1 July 2018.

3. The instant asset writeoff is important for small business generally and rideshare businesses specifically. It helps with cash flow. It also helps ensure a younger car fleet, which is important from a road safety perspective.

GST

4. The present system of imposing GST from the first dollar on those providing ‘taxi services’ (including rideshare) is unfairly discriminatory.

5. The Government should impose the GST not directly on drivers but on ‘cab aggregators’ (including Uber) along the lines of what India has done in its recently introduced GST.

6. This would save significant compliance and administration costs and would lift a burden currently unfairly imposed on rideshare and taxi drivers.

7. Failing that, the Government should remove the current discriminatory provision (unique to Australia) and annually index the current GST threshold of $75,000 (including allowing for inflation since the current threshold was set).

8. Alternatively, there should be no threshold for any kind of enterprise along the lines of Spain’s VAT.

Jack Malarkey


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## UberDriverAU (Nov 4, 2015)

I love your work Jack. I was considering making a submission, but it would have been mostly a duplicate of your submission. The only bit I disagree with is the suggestion for no threshold. The reason being I believe the overall costs would outweigh the overall benefits. In it's place I would suggest a requirement to register for GST if you advertise prices as being inclusive of GST, similar to what is in place in NZ.


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## Jack Malarkey (Jan 11, 2016)

Treasury has extended the date by which you can make a pre-Budget submission to Wednesday 31 January 2018: https://consult.treasury.gov.au/budget-policy-division/2018-19-pre-budget-submissions/.


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## Jack Malarkey (Jan 11, 2016)

Just a reminder that the last day for making a pre-Budget submission is Wednesday 31 January (the extended due date).


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## DeanDoom (Jan 25, 2018)

I pretty much copied and pasted Jack's Submission. Id say if they get more than a few the same they might actually take some notice.


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