The Hodgman Liberal Government’s agreement to close the loophole for online purchases that attract GST is a real win for local businesses.
Currently, overseas retailers operating online have an unfair advantage over Tasmanian retailers because sales from local stores attract GST, but online purchases of less than $1000 do not.
Reducing the threshold for online purchasers to attract GST is a sensible evening of the playing field.
It is an unfair disadvantage to local retailers when the same product costs 10 per cent less online from an international company just because they haven’t had to pay GST.
This is a welcome development that ties in with our commitment to back small business and to make it easier for Tasmanian businesses to compete on a level playing field.
In contrast, Labor’s Scott Bacon has today confirmed Labor’s position to tax working Tasmanians more through an increase to the Medicare Levy.
This proposal, which will rip around $1,000 per year out of the pocket of working Tasmanians, will have serious negative flow-on effects to local businesses.
Labor’s solution to fixing their budget mess is always to tax people more, without thinking of the consequences on families or small business.
Rather than support the cooperative and constructive approach taken by the Premier and his colleagues this week, Labor simply wants to tax more.
More Media Releases from the Parliamentary Secretary for Small Business and Trade