No incentive to do overtime

Andy, this is not a dig at you but Ill just use your position as an example.

You pay less tax - Woohoo!
We all pay less tax - Woohoo!
Govn has less revenue.
Less to spend on roads.
Your Shire gets no road funding.
You no longer drive a big yellow twuck...

The issue is never really the tax. The issue is as selfish humans we each think we could distribute that tax dollar better. We feel slighted that we are not getting value for our money.

If the aussie economy is in deficit, then technically each tax dollar you pay is getting back to you - it is just perhaps in an obscure way you dont like.

Perhaps it pays for the methadone that then keeps an IVDU from a Heroine addication that would have lead them to stealing your fancy new LED lightbar to sell at the pub ;)

My theory has always been, if I whinge about paying tax I then cannot whinge about the 'services'
provided by our beloved representatives.

I much prefer to whinge about the way services are delivered - far more scope than taxes!!!!

Anyways,

Steve

Well,you could get yourself on a pension,try living on a pension,disability or aged,then see how you go buying food ,petrol,and clothing,white goods,and electronics,all priced the same as what you pay for them, and then see how much you have for entertainment,or a newish car.

Look up pension rates,single,married no children,non home owning,and then home owning, and see how you would go long term,when I was working compulsory super was a pipe dream,you had to be employed for about 5 years to qualify to be " invited" to join super,but mostly managements would downsize staff just after one's 4th year's service and you would be terminated,---- 6 months later you would be contacted/ headhunted to rejoin the company at slightly higher salary,that practice was industry wide.

A quick look at all the toys I have to play with quickly confirms the OT I did in the past was worth every minute :D

Uncle Ho, you certainly hit the nail on the head there.:D

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Originally Posted by trog

I am sure the official 5.5 % plus under employed would love a cut of the overtime.There are constant reports of Aus. having one of the highest rates of overtime . It is haves and have nots. The casuals are lead along with do O/T and you will be made permanent . Never happened to me . If scheduled and routine overtime is part of the work place then either there is poor planning of labour and resources . What percentage really want regular overtime or time for themselves for other activities ?

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To a lot of companies its cheaper to have a certain level of shortage of labour as the savings from not having to pay a wage + training + Workcover insurance + super + holiday pay + rosters is more than paying overtime. Now what is the solution? Higher penalty rates for overtime? Or do what other countries have done and legislate to limit the hours you can work?
I work a salary set up with pre paid overtime 4 crews 24/7/365 coverage. Our situation with overtime is highly variable with days where the crew is doing odd jobs or helping in other dep'ts because its so quiet and others where we need to call in 1/2 of another crew to cover the work.

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Originally Posted by 303gunner

I think "was" is the operative term. During the "Good 'Ol Days" of the Howard Govt, Tax rates on wages as low as $50,000 were 47% plus 1.5% Medicare Levy:
Individual income tax rates for prior years=

Of course, now that tax rates under the Gillard Govt are at historic lows, even taking into account Bracket Creep, she is "squandering the boom times" and we are supposed to have poor standards of living, despite bringing in more take home pay than ever before. Why aren't the Talkback Radio hosts suggesting we go back to those tax rates to solve all our problems?

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Yes but that was still only the rate on the upper amount. E.g. in your example you didn't pay 47% tax on ALL of your income.

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Originally Posted by flagg

and sadly that is more and more common with the new economy. Everyone is expected to do more, and new head count is rarely on the cards. I know someone who did this to get a project over the line. Management even sent out emails thanking them saying how great they were.. Until the project ended then they were fired. I was speechless.

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That is standard for business today.
Happened to me.
On the up side, there is now no such thing as loyalty. People change companies for as little as an extra 50c/hr. In the good times rates are driven up.

Oh, Andy, keep paying them taxes. I need someone to fund my unemployment.

Just an example of how bad the tax system is.
From about 1980 to 1986 I used to work for a company at hourly rate servicing NC and CNC machine tools.
My last year there I earned during the financial year $39000 and pay tax accordingly with an entitlement of very small tax concessions (work clothes, boots, etc)
I invested back in 1980 over $2000 in tools to be able to do that job.
After that I when to work as a self employed ruining my business from home, using the same tools that I have used in the previous job and only leased a new Holden Rodeo to be able to visiting my customers.
My hourly rate back in 1987 was of $35.00 per hour for traveling time and for the work on site.
That financial year I paid less tax than when I was working for a company doing the same job earning less and of course to go to work I need my own transport as well.
When I was working for the company I used to work 8 hours overtime during the week plus Saturday. Once I worked one Sunday for $10.00 clean for 8 hours work, the tax office god the rest :mad:
Tradesman with specialized skills were better off to work as self employer than work for a company back then. I do not know how it is now.

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Originally Posted by Mick_Marsh

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Oh, Andy, keep paying them taxes. I need someone to fund my unemployment.

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Yes, because if you are counting on the proportional contribution of Gina Rinehart or Ivan Glasenberg among others of the "elite club" you are not going to have a chance :D

On our last EBA, our union negotiated a pay cut for us. On paper it was a 2.5% pay rise (against inflation of close to 4% at the time), and then they conceded a $10-$20 (depending on your position) per hour pay cut on Over Time.

At the same time, they reneged on a contract I had so as to reduce travel allowance.

I've refused any O/T since. The first financial year following my "pay rise" I earned $10K less than the previous year. The ATO said I was a poor family and gave me an extra $1K in my Tax Return, then gave my wife another $6K in Family Payments A&B, total of $7K extra in my Tax Return. If I'd earned the $10K I would have paid $3K in Tax, so I got my $7K without having to work the O/T. My paycut has cost my employer productivity (less shifts covered by refusal of O/T), my (ex) union lost out on subsequent fees and the ATO has been making up my shortfall. The days that would have been O/T are now at home with my family.

You can't buy time.