Tax boss wants $300,000 pay rise

[Violet_Crumble]

AUSTRALIA'S top tax official has come under sustained attack in a Senate hearing for lobbying to get himself a 58 per cent pay rise.

Tax Commissioner Michael D'Ascenzo is at present paid just over half a million dollars.

He has written to the Remuneration Tribunal asking for a package of around $800,000 to bring himself into line with other agency heads such as the head of the Securities and Investments Commission and the Competition and Consumer Commission.

Asked by Labor senator Doug Cameron how much extra he was planning to pay his own workers, he said the increase would be about 3 per cent.

Asked to put a percentage figure on the pay rise he wants for himself, he said he ''hadn't worked it out''.

An increase from $505,000 to $800,000 would amount to 58 per cent.


Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/national/tax-boss-wants-300000-pay-rise-20111020-1mang.html#ixzz1bSM3PHrQ

[Matilda]

1. And Qantas boss gets 71% pay rise,

taking him to $5 million a year (and that's not counting stock options and perks).

Onward and upward for the 1%!

[SwissTony]

2. You might expect the top tax official in Australia to be able to

do some basic arithmetic.

Even some order of magnitude (also known as back of an envelope) stuff:

present salary: $500k
desired salary: $800k
difference: $300k

difference as percentage of present salary: 100 x 300/500 = 60%

No calculator required.

[Violet_Crumble]

3. I'm not surprised that he hadn't 'worked it out'

Kind of embarrassing for him to be busted asking for such a massive pay rise when he's refused to budge from the piddly 3% that won't even keep up with the cost of living that we're expected to take...