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Ownership

Last updated 12 December 2018

The 1,131 foreign-owned entities in 2016–17 make up over half (54%) of the corporate transparency population and account for around one-fifth (22%) of tax payable. Australian public entities account for 28% of the population (590) and 72% of tax payable, while Australian private entities account for 18% of the population (388) and 6% of tax payable.

Figure 18: Corporate entities, by ownership segment, 2016–17

There were 2,109 entities in scope for the transparency report in 2016–17. They include 590 Australian public entities, 388 Australian private entities and 1,131 foreign-owned entities.

Figure 19: Tax payable – corporate entities, by ownership segment, 2016–17

Entities in the population are grouped into three ownership segments. This figure shows the number of corporate entities in each ownership segment, the number with positive taxable income and tax payable amounts, and the amount of tax payable. In 2016–17, there were 1,131 foreign-owned entities (54% of the corporate transparency population accounting for 22% of tax payable); 590 Australian public entities (28% of the population accounting for 72% of the tax payable); and 388 Australian private entities (18% of the population accounting for 6% of tax payable).

Corporate sector entities and groups

There are approximately 1.3 million companies operating in Australia and they reported total income tax payable of $74 billion in 2016–17. The 2,109 corporate tax entities reported in the transparency report represent over 62% of total corporate income tax payable.

However, these entities are not necessarily standalone entities and are sometimes part of a group of companies.

As shown in Figure 20, the 2016–17 corporate transparency population consists of entities that belong to 1,645 unique economic groups, as well as 209 standalone entities. The majority of economic groups in the corporate transparency population have linked entities outside the scope of this measure.

Figure 20: Corporate transparency population groups and entities, 2016–17

1,854 economic groups and standalone entities were to some degree in scope for the transparency report in 2016–17, comprising 1,645 economic groups and 209 standalone entities.

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