A plan to make multinationals publicly report their tax data is being fought by Australia's biggest companies that have warned the Albanese government that new rules will significantly increase the cost of doing business.
You can read my analysis on the story here.
Treasury is consulting about making country-by-country tax reporting rules for multinational firms publicly available.
Companies already report this information to tax authorities but have long warned against making it public.
The change would require them to publicly report tax information on a country-by-country basis worldwide, as well as data that shows if authorities are targeting aggressive transfer pricing tactics used by multinationals.
Business leaders warn the rules will mean Australia imposes some of the toughest disclosure rules in the world, over and above requirements already in place in the European Union.
But Jason Ward, principal analyst at the Center for International Corporate Tax Accountability and Research, said disclosures would be an "incredible data source" for tax activists, shareholders and academics.
All companies with global revenues over $1 billion that operate in Australia would need to list the tangible and intangible assets they hold in each jurisdiction with book values, according to the draft rules, scheduled to apply for income years beginning from July 1.
But the proposed changes have now been delayed.