MP meets Minister to talk tax relief for KI

Posted August 25, 2017

Federal Member for Mayo Rebekha Sharkie has met with Finance Minister Kelly O’Dwyer to formally discuss special tax relief measures for Kangaroo Island residents.

The meeting was held in August when Parliament resumed after the winter break with Rebekha asking the Minister to consider including KI in the special tax offset zone.

This specially defined Australian Taxation Office (ATO) area, known as Zone B, compensates for geographic disadvantage and could put between $57 and $1600 in the pockets of individuals and families on KI.

A petition calling for KI to be included in the tax offset zone was organised by local Lisa Thompson and was signed by about 10% of the island’s population, nearly 500 people.

Rebekha presented the community petition to Federal Parliament earlier this year and wrote to Minister O’Dwyer to outline the case for inclusion.

“When I met with the Minister she did say she was impressed with the detail we provided in our letter to argue for KI to be included in the zone and she recognised that a significant portion of the island’s population supported the move, as expressed in the petition,” Rebekha said.

“We do not have a final decision yet but our meeting was constructive and positive and our advocacy is progressing.

The ATO has three types of income tax concession zones recognising higher costs of living in specially defined remote parts of Australia.

The concessions are a direct tax offset, not a deduction, and give amounts ranging from $57 for an individual without children to $1607 for a sole parent with a dependent child under the age of 21 years or a dependent student under 25.

Two parent families could be eligible for rebates of between $376 for their first child or student and $282 for each subsequent child, depending on their age and education status.