A Tax Cheat is a THIEF (HOCKEY)

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‘A tax cheat is a thief’ – Joe Hockey

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Lily – GetUp!

12:39 PM (2 hours ago)

to me
Dear NEVILLE,

Corporate tax dodging is costing Australian taxpayers billions of dollars — money that could be funding our hospitals, universities and social safety net.

In a matter of days, more than 40,000 of us signed a petition asking Joe Hockey to ensure corporate tax dodgers pay their fair share of tax — and the pressure is working.

The Treasurer is now talking tough on corporate tax dodging, saying ‘a tax cheat is a thief’ and making commitments to crack down on global tax evasion.1 But meanwhile, he’s slashed the ATO budget, hamstringing their ability to go after the worst corporate tax cheats.

So to turn tough talk into action, Government MPs and senators need to know that reports of corporate tax dodging have really touched a nerve with their voters. Together, let’s deliver the message: talk is cheap — we want action.

Click here to email your Government MP or Senator and ask for real action to ensure that big business pays their fair share of tax

An estimated 2.5 milllion Australians are now living below the poverty line at the very time the Abbott Government is asking the poorest Aussie households to contribute $1.1 billion more than the wealthy.2 And according to a report by the Tax Justice Network and United Voice, the top 200 ASX companies are paying billions less than they should be, parking some of their profits in offshore tax havens.3

It’s disgraceful. That’s why Australians are up in arms over the failure of big business to pay their fare share, while we’re asked to bear the budget pain. So this is exactly the right time to put pressure on our politicians to take a tougher stance on tax dodging by big business.

While Mr Hockey’s crack down rhetoric is a great start, his actions leave a lot to be desired. The Government just cut $189 million from the Australian Taxation Office — the very body that polices tax compliance. They’ve also left open loopholes that could have delivered $1.1 billion more to the national coffers.4

Actions speak louder than words, and picking up the phone to call an MP’s office is an incredibly effective way of putting pressure on our decision makers. Click here to call your Liberal MP or Senator and ask them what actions — not words — they’re going to take to crack down on corporate tax dodgers: www.getup.org.au/corporate-tax-call

It’s only fair that big businesses making massive profits pay their fair share, just like the rest of us. If they don’t, we’re the ones who end up footing the bill.

Thank you for all that you do,
Lily, Mark, Nat and Georgina, for the GetUp team

PS — This image from our friends at United Voice shows who picks up the bill when our government fails to crack down on big business tax dodgers: our schools, communities and hospitals. Take the time now to tell your MP to spend more time cracking down on big business tax dodgers, instead of squeezing out budget savings from the poor, the sick and our seniors.

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[1]’The Path to Brisbane — Setting up the G20 to make a difference’, The Hon Joe Hockey MP, 8 October 2014.
[2]’Poverty in Australia Report’, Australian Council of Social Services, October 2014. ‘Poorest families pay most in budget’, Sydney Morning Herald, 22 May 2014.
[3]’Who Pays for Our Commonwealth? Tax Practices of the ASX 200′, United Voice and the Tax Justice Network, October 2014.
[4]’Corporate tax avoidance costs Australian business’, Sydney Morning Herald, 30 September 2014.

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