Uniting Church members are demanding that the Federal Government do more to help stem the worldwide tide of tax evasion.
On behalf of local churches, Reverend Mark Dunn, from St John’s Uniting Church, at Essendon, and Mark Zirnsak, Director of the Synod Justice and International Mission Unit, recently presented 180 tax declarations calling on the Government to take action to Federal Minister and Maribyrnong MHR Bill Shorten.
The legitimate tax income denied developing countries through a range of tax evasion measures employed by corporations and individuals is massive. An example of this is in Ghana, where one of that country’s biggest breweries has only paid tax in one of the four years from 2007 – 2010, yet stallholders selling the beer must pay tax or face jail.
Anti-corruption non-government organisation, Global Financial Integrity, estimated that, collectively, developing countries were denied US$418 billion in legitimate tax income through one form of corporate tax evasion in 2009, much of it laundered via tax havens.
That is almost four times the global overseas aid budget in 2009 of US$120 billion.
Dr Zirnsak said if tax avoidance was by multinational companies and wealthy individuals saw stemmed in developing countries, such nations would have little need for foreign aid and would be able to truly benefit from foreign investment.
Rev Dunn said he was disappointed that an element within the world community sought to play the system and avoid paying its fair share of tax.
“I fully believe that our democracy runs on the basis that we all pay our fair share. It continues to disappoint and frustrate that people are able to manipulate the system,’’ he said
“This is a plea to government to say ‘let’s do more’.”
Dr Zirnsak said tax was the most sustainable source of finance for development. He emphasised that, as a member of the G20, Australia has an important role to play.
The churches involved in signing the tax justice returns were St John’s, St Albans Uniting Church and Sunshine Uniting Church.
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