Julie* wants to know why she can't afford to pay her bills when, she claims, multinationals will be allowed to continue to get away without paying their fair share of taxes.
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"I was quite disappointed that people struggling on the borderline of poverty and in poverty are not considered," she said.
"We're still not demanding [enough] taxes off these massive corporations. I'd just like to know why."
The federal government said in Tuesday's budget they would clamp down on debt-shifting, royalty payment and tax haven loopholes for multinationals, resulting in an extra $1 billion on corporate tax bills.
This increase, particularly from oil and gas companies who have experienced record profits as demand for resources has grown as a result of the war in Ukraine, is expected to make up a chunk of the government's $142 billion estimated revenue over the next four years.
However, Climate Energy Finance (CEF) director Tim Buckley said these budget measures weren't enough.
"Multinational tax reform is mentioned, and the budget assumes a $953 million increased contribution by limiting multinationals' debt-deductions and other loopholes," Mr Buckley said.
"However, there is no further insight on how multinationals like Exxon and Chevron, BP and Shell who book Australian revenues in the tens of billion dollars but pay zero corporate tax here in the last seven years - according to the ATO Tax Transparency disclosures - will be made to pay their fair share."
Julie, 57, who has been receiving income support while she looks for work, is one of many Australians who are struggling with rising costs of living.
The federal budget has forecast costs will only worsen as electricity bills look set to increase by 20 per cent in 2022 and a further 30 per cent in 2023 to 2024. That's a 56 per cent increase in power bills over the next two years.
Gas bills are also expected to increase by up to 20 per cent in the next year, and then by 20 per cent in 2023 to 2024.
CEF's Buckley said subsidies for the fossil fuel sector were "a major disappointment" in the budget given increased profits for resource companies selling domestically-produced gas back to Australian households at export prices.
The budget has also reinstated the full petrol excise on all Australians. But CEF's Buckley said subsidies like the diesel fuel rebate, an excise payable on the use of diesel fuel in mining and production, continue to provide the mining industry a $4-5 billion annual exemption.
"An equitable multinational corporate tax and royalty regime would ... enable rebates to people most harshly hit by soaring power prices, such as those on low and fixed incomes, and provide funding to support households to get access to lower cost energy solutions," Mr Buckley said.
The budget allocated funding for the Taxation Office to target businesses avoiding tax, which is expected to return a net $1.7 billion.
*Julie's surname has been withheld to maintain her privacy.
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