SAUL ESLAKE

Economist

SAUL ESLAKE

‘Welcome to my website …
I’m an independent economist, speaker, company director
and Vice-Chancellor’s Fellow at the University of Tasmania’

Taxation


Taxation is an important part of economic policy – not only in raising revenue for governments to spend, but also in influencing private saving, investment and spending decisions, and for affecting the distribution of income and wealth. Decisions as to what is (or isn’t taxed), and at what rate, are always controversial, and sometimes have unintended consequences.

Tassie economist Saul Eslake calls for discussions around tax reform in new report – Tasmania Talks

News, Tasmania, Taxation | 16th September 2020

Saul talks to Tasmania Talks’ Aaron Stevens about Reforming Tasmania’s tax system: some options report, 16th Sep 2020.


Reforming Tasmania’s tax system: some options

Tasmania, Taxation | 16th September 2020

Paper commissioned by The Australia Institute, Tasmania, and publicly released on 16th September 2020. If preferred, a shorter 2,200 word, 5-page version is available below.


Preferential tax breaks for small business don’t work

News, Taxation | 25th June 2020

The Australian, 24th June 2020


Labor’s policy on cash refunds for franking credits

News, Taxation | 14th March 2018

Katharine Murphy | Guardian Australia | 14th March, 2018 In mid-March 2018 the Australian Labor Party foreshadowed that, if it formed government after the next election (due in 2019) it would no longer allow ‘franking credits’ (credits which shareholders in Australian companies receive for the tax paid by companies in which they own shares, which […]


More on the taxation treatment of property investment

Housing, Publications, Taxation | 1st February 2018

Saul Eslake | Pearls and Irritations | 1st February 2018 A short article published 1st February 2018 on ‘Pearls and Irritations’, the blog curated by former Qantas CEO and Head of the Prime Minister’s Department John Menadue, prompted by the release in January of 2018 of Treasury advice to the Australian Government about the likely […]


Using super for home deposit a ‘thoroughly bad idea’: Economist Saul Eslake

Housing, News, Taxation | 11th April 2017

James-Elton Pym | SBS News | 11th April 2017 Letting young people dip into their superannuation to fund house deposits would increase buying power and drive house prices higher, the independent economist has warned. Independent economist Saul Eslake says Liberal backbenchers advocating a plan to allow young people to use their superannuation as a home […]


Negative gearing reform ‘essential’ to improve housing affordability: Saul Eslake

Housing, News, Taxation | 10th April 2017

Michael Janda |RN Breakfast ABC News | 10th April 2017 Interview with ABC Business Reporter Michael Janda on Monday 10th April 2017 Negative gearing reform ‘essential’ to improve housing affordability: Saul Eslake Scaling back negative gearing or capital gains tax concessions for property investment is “essential” to improve housing affordability for first home buyers, independent […]


Mornings Institute: How do we get companies to pay the right amount of tax?

News, Taxation | 30th March 2017

Wendy Harmer | Mornings Institute, ABC Radio Sydney | 30th March 2017 This week the so called “Google Tax” was passed into law, providing the Australian Taxation Office with some of the world’s strongest powers to fight tax evading multinational companies. Meanwhile the company tax cuts policy, which is also part of the government’s multi […]


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Dr Joe Flood, Adjunct Fellow, RMIT University, Pandemicia


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Andrew Trembath, economist, Victorian and Australian Government agencies


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WHAT'S NEW

Most Recent Articles, Talks and Presentations


The next four years will be difficult for Tasmania
News, Tasmania
27th March 2024


Some initial reflections on the outcome of the 2024 Tasmanian State election
Australian Society and Politics, Tasmania
24th March 2024


Tasmania’s fiscal position
Australian Society and Politics, Economic Policies, Recent Media Interview, Tasmania
24th March 2024


Productivity, Tax Reform and ‘Peak China’
Asian Economies, Economic Policies, Productivity, Taxation, The Australian Economy
13th March 2024


Tasmania – lost opportunities
Tasmania
12th March 2024


The Tasmanian Economy
Tasmania
29th February 2024


The worst public policy decision of the 21st Century
Economic Policies, Recent Media Interview
20th February 2024


Is ‘price gouging’ a major contributor to inflation?
Recent Media Interview
19th February 2024


The massive $50bn GST revenue distribution blow out (with Andy Park)
Economic Policies, Recent Media Interview
14th February 2024


The massive $50bn GST revenue distribution blow out (with Gary Adshead)
Economic Policies, Recent Media Interview
14th February 2024


Tasmania’s senior secondary education reform
Recent Media Interview, Tasmania
13th February 2024


Distribution of GST Revenue: the Worst Public Policy Decision of the 21st Century to date.
Australian Society and Politics, Economic Policies, The Australian Economy
4th February 2024


Insights on Asian Elections 2024 mentioned in The Economist
Asian Economies
30th January 2024


Alternatives to interest rates
Economic Policies, Recent Media Interview, The Australian Economy
29th January 2024


Reflections on ‘Australia Day’
Australian Society and Politics
26th January 2024


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TESTIMONIALS

What Others Say


“You are one of the best at what you do in the world”
Gail Fosler, Chief Economist, The Conference Board, New York, December 2002

“I have never known an economist to have such a knowledge of world economic facts and to be able to bring to bear so much information in answering a question without notice”
Charles Goode, Chairman, ANZ Bank, July 2009

“Saul Eslake is … a highly regarded independent economist with the highest degree of integrity"
John Durie, Columnist, The Australian, July 2009

“… one of the few people in this world who can have so many oranges up in the air at the same time but still manage to catch them"
Andrew Clark, journalist, Australian Financial Review, November 2008

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