Tax Dodgers List – 2018

© Michael West Media

Notable tax avoiders such as Google, eBay, Booking.com, Expedia and other digital giants are not on this list, not yet. They don’t even recognise income earned here; instead, they book Australian revenue directly to their associates offshore. They will be ranked in due course.

In this, the first iteration of michaelwest.com.au corporate tax rankings, we are going purely on the Tax Office data. These rankings are an organic process however and, as we consult with a council of advisers, they will change over time. We will also publish a list of Australia’s best corporate taxpayers, those companies who contribute most to the country in which they operate.

The Tax Office data is by no means perfect. In many cases, there are multiple entities with the same ultimate offshore parent reporting. One entity may pay zero tax, another may pay at the statutory 30 per cent rate. We endeavour to be fair in our reporting to recognise these issues.

The data also recognises trusts as well as companies. For trusts, it is the members (investors) rather than the trust who are required to pay the tax. In many cases however it is fair to recognise trust structures as tax avoidance structures as tax is often the main reason these vehicles have been structured via trusts.

Companies are welcome to debate their rankings or to touch base to clarify or defend their tax practices. We will append or link these submissions.

The data used in our analysis has been obtained from the Australian Taxation Office and is available under tax transparency legislation.