Australian drivers pay 15 times more fuel tax than private jets

Summarised from 2 outlets · 3 reports · Updated 13 Nov, 20:14 · Archive

Australian motorists pay 53.7 cents per litre in fuel excise while private jet owners pay 3.556 cents per litre.

Australian drivers are paying 15 times more tax per litre on petrol than owners of private jets do refuelling their aircraft, according to data cited by Greens leader David Shoebridge. Motorists currently pay 53.7 cents per litre in fuel excise, whilst owners of the more than 200 private jets in Australia pay just 3.556 cents per litre. The excise rate for aircraft applies to specialised aviation fuel and kerosene, which fuels commercial airlines, charter planes and private aircraft.

Shoebridge said the tax arrangement meant ordinary motorists were effectively funding a subsidy for wealthy jet owners including billionaire Gina Rinehart. The Greens leader called the arrangement a 'publicly funded handout for the super rich' costing more than 500 dollars per year. He said that if the tax rate for private jets were aligned with that for private vehicles, it would generate 640 million dollars in the 2026-27 financial year alone.

According to costings by the Parliamentary Budget Office seen by NewsWire, aligning private jet fuel excise with motorist rates would increase fiscal and underlying cash balances by about 1.2 billion and 1.5 billion dollars respectively over the 2026-27 budget forward estimates period.

How it is being reported

• Motorists paying 15 times more in fuel excise than private jets, Greens sayAustralian drivers are paying 15 times more tax per litre on petrol than owners do fuelling private jets, new data has revealed.The West Australian · 13 Nov, 13:03
• Motorists paying 15 times more in fuel excise than private jets, Greens sayAustralian drivers are paying 15 times more tax per litre on petrol than owners do fuelling private jets, new data has revealed.Perth Now · 13 Nov, 13:02
• Motorists paying 15 times more in fuel excise than private jets, Greens sayAustralian drivers are paying 15 times more tax per litre on petrol than owners do fuelling private jets, new data has revealed.Perth Now · 13 Nov, 13:02

In this story: David Shoebridge · Gina Rinehart · Pauline Hanson · Australian Greens · Labor · Parliamentary Budget Office · Australia

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