News Corp celebrates more than a decade of paying zero tax in Australia

From today, Australia's major telecommunications providers, Telstra, Optus, and Vodafone, will be able to provide temporary roaming services to customers in areas affected by natural disasters like cyclones, bushfires, or floods. If the primary network in those areas is down, users will still be able to make calls, send messages, and access the internet for a limited time without additional charges. However, this service cannot be activated during power outages or in metropolitan areas.

Meanwhile, the Australian government has introduced a new program called Thriving Kids to replace the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) for children under nine years old with mild developmental delays and autism. This change, announced by the Albanese government, aims to provide early intervention services to these children, making services more accessible and cost-effective for families.

Unlike the NDIS, participation in Thriving Kids does not require a formal diagnosis, which could expedite the process and save money for families.

On the corporate front, 27% of large Australian companies paid no income tax in the 2024-25 financial year, according to the Australian Taxation Office's corporate transparency report. The majority of these companies cited accounting losses as the reason for not paying taxes, while others pointed to infrastructure investments and operational expenses.

The report included data from 4,299 entities earning at least $100 million in total income, with the mining sector contributing the most to the total tax collected, amounting to $87.5 billion.