Review of State Business Taxes

In the 2000-01 Budget , the Government announced tax cuts totalling $400 million. To advise Government on how best to allocate these tax cuts, the former Treasurer of Victoria, the Hon. John Brumby MP, established the State Tax Review Committee to conduct this review of the State’s tax system. The Committee was established as an independent body and was supported by a Working Party/Secretariat from within the Department of Treasury and Finance.

The emphasis of the review was to provide opportunities for business and the wider community throughout regional and metropolitan Victoria to have their say in the development of the State’s tax system which is fair, competitive and designed for a modern and growing Victoria.

The Review of State Business Taxes was the first comprehensive assessment of the State's tax system since 1983 and was a high priority in the 2001-02 State Budget.

The public were invited to review and comment on the Issues Paper and Fact Sheets which were distributed on 3 August 2000.

Fact Sheets

These fact sheets provided background on the Victorian tax situation at the time of the Review and were compiled to assist people wishing to make a submission to the Review.

1. The Review At A Glance (62 kb PDF)
2. Victorian Government Revenue (73 kb PDF)
3. The Impact of the Intergovernmental Agreement on Victoria (67 kb PDF)
4. Victoria's Current Tax Mix (81 kb PDF)
5. Tax Competitiveness (90 kb PDF)
6. Land Tax (71 kb PDF)
7. Payroll Tax (66 kb PDF)
8. Gambling Taxes (66 kb PDF)
9. Motor Vehicle Registration and Insurance (70 kb PDF)
10. Stamp Duty on Conveyances and Land Transfers (58 kb PDF)
11. Stamp Duty on General (non-life) Insurance (71 kb PDF)
12. Financial Institutions Duty (78 kb PDF)
13. Debits Tax (62 kb PDF)
14. Motor Vehicles Registration and Transfers: Stamp Duty (68 kb PDF)
15. Business Conveyances and Financial Instruments (72 kb PDF)

Issues Paper

The Issues Paper released as part of the Review detailed the key features of Victoria's historical, current and prospective tax arrangements, and sought to stimulate consideration of key issues such as:

• the importance of taxation and dependence on Commonwealth grants;
• dependence on certain taxes;
• the relationship between tax growth and Government expenditure growth;
• the impact of taxes and other factors on business investment decisions; and
• the impact of tax complexity.

Issues Paper (165 kb PDF)

Interim Report

Released in October 2000, the Interim Report is a summary of the key points raised by business and the community during the consultation process.

Interim Report (361 kb PDF)

Summary Report

The Summary Report provides an overview of the State business tax reform package that was proposed by the Committee, with background on the key issues that were raised during the Review process.

Summary Report (5,100 kb PDF)

Full Report

The Full Report presents a detailed analysis of a number of issues that are discussed more briefly in the Summary Report.

Full Report (2,300 kb PDF)