Policy in the Pub: Brendan Coates on Tax breaks for superannuation

Targeting the Tax Breaks for Superannuation

Tax breaks for superannuation contributions and earnings should be targeted
more tightly at their policy purpose. The tax concessions cost the budget
more than $25 billion a year in foregone revenue, but don’t deliver what we
need. Building on Grattan Institute’s recent report, Super Tax Targeting,
the presentation will explore the purposes of superannuation and
superannuation tax breaks. It will ask what criteria should be used in
analysing competing proposals for change? What changes would minimise the
economic impacts, improve budget balances, be fair, and remain
administratively workable?

About the speaker

Brendan Coates is a Senior Associate at the Grattan Institute and co-author
of the recent Grattan Institute report, Super Tax Targeting. Before joining
Grattan, Brendan worked with the World Bank in Indonesia, and prior to
that, he undertook a number of roles with the Australian Treasury,
including as part of the Treasury’s China Policy Unit. Brendan holds a
Masters of International Development Economics from the Australian National
University and Bachelors of Commerce and Arts from the University of
Melbourne.