On 22 November 2024, the Government announced from 1 January 2025 it will stop charging merchant service fees on debit card payments for frontline government services at the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) and Services Australia. The Commonwealth Entities (Payment Surcharges) Act 2024 and related Bills will ensure existing surcharges collected by Commonwealth entities are authorised by law where required.
This measure is now law.
https://www.ato.gov.au/about-ato/new-legislation/in-detail/o…
Yup! Nothing to see here! Let's move on.
Imagine if it was one of us who did that. We'd end up with a jackfruit with no lube sideways.
You'd prefer they did nothing, left surcharges in place, and potentially left a loophole for predatory lawyers to sue the govt - aka taxpayers? Nfi.
F the ATO 🖕🏻
Username does not check out, but still a message I can get behind 🙏
Thanks Albo. Nonetheless you will still go down as the worst ever Australian prime minister
How is he worse than Abbott or Scomo?
I feel the level of disconnect from the Albanese Government is off the scale
I find it amazing how the right wing media has managed to leverage cookers against the left wing governments over the years.
That's not the only thing you're feeling, mate.
@Pistnbroke: Is that solely Albo's fault that you feel poorer? What about blaming Putin for runaway global inflation? Or rich multinationals like Woolworths for shrinkflation?
It's slightly more complicated than just 'the guv'ment shoulda fixed it'
@Shoocat: If you want to take that angle and disagree the fact that Australia IS on its knees that’s totally fine with me, as I’m not here to argue with you. But to answer your question, yes I do believe this incompetent gov is to blame for not only me feeling poorer but each and every single person and business I speak to. You must be living in a bubble. If a government chooses to print endless money of course inflation is going to soar. The nations deficit says it all to me. Ultimately the gov is to blame. This country is headed for a major economic disaster. Like it or lump it. I don’t care if you disagree.
@Pistnbroke: I don't disagree that Labor could have done more to counter cost of living pressures, but I do understand that the underlying reasons are pretty complex and not all the government's fault or within their control.
I don't agree the country is on its knees. We are remarkably well off overall, although a lot of people are doing it tough.
I'm not sure why you're so angry at other commentators on here? If you care so little about what other people think why bother engaging at all?
@Pistnbroke: Australian isn't on it's knees, although that appears to be how you found your opinion. Not that deficits are a good indicator of financial performance or economic stability but it seems your knowledge of deficits is unsurprisingly deficient. Chalmers delivered surplus budgets in the govt's first two years and is on track for a relatively small deficit in year three.
Don't take it all at face value but this should help: https://ministers.treasury.gov.au/ministers/jim-chalmers-202…
Small extract:
We’ve turned two big Liberal deficits into two substantial Labor surpluses and we’ve shrunk the deficit again this year.
The deficit this year is now almost half what we inherited, at $26.9 billion it’s $1.3 billion lower than Budget and $20.1 billion lower than PEFO.
The budget position is $27.1 billion better over the four years to 2027–28, compared to what was projected at PEFO.
The overall budget position is almost $200 billion better over the six years to 2027–28 compared to what was projected at PEFO.
By comparison, the budget position was $140 billion worse in the first six years of the former Government compared to the 2013 PEFO.
@Igaf: Thanks for your very narrow minded interpretation of the nations finances. How honourable you. Now go back to the internet and get a broader understanding of he nations state of affairs. Maybe look at housing affordability, interest rates, energy prices… you know, basic stuff that makes the population happy, I just shake my head sometimes
@Pistnbroke: Facts are very inconvenient at times eh? Instead of shaking your head and making uninformed comments about deficits you ought to do some basic economic reading. Housing is primarily a state issue although it's obviously impacted by federal govt immigration policies, and there are very simple reasons why interest rates and energy prices are high (enjoy your govt rebate did you?). Chalmers has restructured the Reserve Bank for good reason. Keeping the population (which parts exactly?) happy might get you re-elected but it doesn't make for good long-term government policy. Hence the timidity of nearly every govt since Howard and the long overdue rise of minor parties and independents.
@Igaf: Ah whatever! Enjoy this crap gov while you can. Early next year after the election, this country will finally be able to move on and mark Albo in the history books as the worst pm to ever govern this nation.
@Pistnbroke: There's your REAL complaint. Worst PM? lol, presumably you were living under a rock during the Abbott, Turnbull and Morrison govts.
If Albanese gets the arse then we'll have the same incompetents who presided over nearly a decade of govt debt loading, incompetence which, among other things, led to the deaths of thousands of aged care residents and recipients of culpably incompetent govt Robodebt rulings, and unprecedented corruption - handouts of taxpayer funds with no deliverables, no oversight, and regularly without market testability. How's Snowy 2 looking? How's your energy costs looking under nuclear? What did successive LNP govts do about housing?
You may have forgotten but I certainly haven't. Albanese may be an honest plodder who can't sell this govt's achievements and vision (whatever that may be) but we already know exactly what we'll get under your corrupt and incompetent mates.
@Igaf: You obviously have an agenda here. But all you are doing is embarrassing yourself. You make out that the Gov is doing great things by handing out public money in energy rebates. All these rebates are doing is contributing to the inflation problem you strongly deny. On top of that the rebates allow these scum energy retailers to take advantage of the people feeling like they are winning, but in return they jack the prices of energy up even higher. If that’s not a government trying to buy votes I don’t know what is. My neck is getting really sore
@Pistnbroke: Yes I have an agenda, albeit one unlikely to succeed for obvious reasons - to educate rusted-on ideological fools and expose ignorant opinion, like yours.
I don't "strongly deny" anything of the sort wrt inflation. While you were sleeping economic experts broadly agreed that rebates do NOT contribute to inflation - which, as Chalmers expalined at the time, is the very reason they were implmented the way they were. I recognise precisely how we got to the position we're in, and why inflation is stricky in many countries around the globe. The clues here are easily traced back to a decade of incompetence and inaction by LNP govts, recent global conflicts, a pandemic which resulted in goods shortages (esp building materiuals), and pandering to populist sentiment, among myriad other things.
@Pistnbroke: Yes I’m really looking forward to the gas powered recovery and spending on nuclear from the libs.
There’s definitely no way that power prices won’t increase because they’ll deregulate and ship more gas overseas and for sure nuclear waste will be carefully stored knowing that it will last 10,000 years.
Not saying labor have it all worked out, they really are just a lesser crap version of the libs
But to answer your question, yes I do believe this incompetent gov is to blame for not only me feeling poorer but each and every single person and business I speak to. You must be living in a bubble
Please learn some economics. Fiscal policies have a lag time before the effects can be felt and quantified, generally 2 to 5 years.
You feeling poor right now is the culmination of a decade of LNP policies (or what some would consider lack of).
And your thoughts of the current government (which has taken some measures to help) is to vote back in the mob that caused it in the first place? The ones that are all about small government and austerity? The lot most likely to cut funding to essential services which help and support those who are poor?
Maybe worst ever Labor prime minister.
Seems like he is trying very hard. Not necessarily by doing bad things, but by being unable to communicate with the electorate in a way they understand. A shame really.
Out of the last 3 Libs, at least 2 of them were a lot worse than Albo. The other one was so hamstrung by the disagreements between factions that he didn't manage to make a lasting impression on anything.
they fcuked up
Wish I had an ATO debt to take advantage of this deal.
Here, have mine.
does that mean i can do tap and pay with my hsbc debit card for $99 to get 2% back from ato at post office?
I'm wondering when will we have this apply for council rates.
Hopefully, this will entice Albo to finally pay off his "Yes" vote tax debt!!
Cash is king 👑
EXACTLY!!
I just don't understand why they don't print more and give us all a million bucks? Housing affordability would be a non-issue!
Hardly a deal, I can't even spend money there..
Please frontline workers stay in our expensive country and keep society running
No you still won't be able to afford a house
Thanks Albo. Nonetheless you will still go down as the worst ever Australian prime minister
No body can take that title away from Scott Morrison.
I don’t holding the hose any more, mate.
Disappointing that's it's not applied immediately.
Why the delay?!?
This is just so they can stand up in parliament and complain about the price of coffee being $5 cash and $5.06 when paying with debit card. Otherwise it would look a little hypocritical.
Whoops, too late!
Rewriting the law to justify 2 decades worth of illegal surcharges and pretending to be hero now.