Inner city forking out more in tax
TAX TALE
INNER- CITY residents are paying nearly $ 4000 more tax than the next highest contributing postcode in Townsville.
The latest Australian Taxation Office figures, released recently, reveal the average net tax in the 4810 postcode – which includes Castle Hill, Belgian Gardens, South Townsville, West End and Rowes Bay – was $ 19,264 per taxpayer in 2014- 15.
The 4811 postcode – which includes Idalia, Wulguru and Cluden – was next in line with a $ 15,469 average tax bill per taxpayer
Residents of the 4819 postcode of Magnetic Island paid the least amount of tax, with the average net tax at $ 11,515 per taxpayer.
Collectively, the 4814 postcode – which includes Annandale, Heatley, Cranbrook and Aitkenvale – paid the highest amount of combined tax, forking out $ 301,962,078 during the 2014- 15 financial year.
The 4810 postcode suburbs paid a combined $ 212,963,520, while the 4819 Magnetic Island postcode paid a combined $ 9,937,445.
Meanwhile, Mount Isa residents paid the highest average net tax at $ 21,244 per taxpayer, and collectively paid $ 210,124,404.
Townsville economist Colin Dwyer said he was not surprised that Mount Isa surpassed Townsville in terms of average tax paid per resident.
“Mount Isa is a very productive working town and because of the mining sector the wages are higher there,” he said. “Wherever you’ve got mining, you generally find very high per capita wages.”
Mr Dwyer said it was also unsurprising that residents in the inner city Townsville paid more tax than other suburbs.
“The 4810 postcode attracts high- income residents, and the cost of housing in the inner city suburbs is higher than average,” he said. “Because residents of Castle Hill, Belgian Gardens and North Ward can afford the views in those suburbs, they tend to enjoy a high income, thus paying more tax.”
Mr Dwyer said the 4815 postcode that included Kelso, Condon and Rasmussen, and the 4819 postcode of Magnetic Island had typically a lower income as the areas did not have direct access to Townsville’s employment zone.
“You generally find that people live closer to their employment zones so they can get convenient access to work,” he said. “Then people tend to look at other facilities such as access to school and shops and so on.”
The average net tax bill for other Townsville postcodes included 4812 at $ 14,830; 4814 at $ 15,433; 416 at $ 14,038; 4817 at $ 14,163 and 4818 at $ 14,556. suburbs of significantly residents in