Tax pain looms: candidate

Nationals Federal candidate for Durack Shane Van Styn has hit out at changes to the Fringe Benefits Tax he

claims would hurt not-for-profit organisations in regional WA.

Mr Van Styn said the changes to the FBT, announced by the Federal Government, would remove the ability for employees to salary sacrifice or car lease business vehicles.

“While the method used to calculate FBT may be complex, the end result of this Labor policy is not,” he said.

.“This will cost the average worker who salary sacrifices their vehicle (more than) $5000 over the next four years, and will impact (more than) 300,000 workers across Australia.

“This concession was created to provide charities and not-for-profit organisations with a way of attracting staff into positions that typically do not pay as well as the private sector saving these organisations significant money, which is often invested back into the community.”

Mr Van Styn said larger not-for profit organisations like the Kimberley Aboriginal Medical Services Corporation, which has more than 200 cars, would be especially hit by the removal of this tax concession.

“Increasing costs for not-for-profit organisations and Aboriginal corporations is an unacceptable way of plugging budget black holes and will have direct impacts in Durack where many Aboriginal Corporations operate,” he said.