| The Tax Barometer is composed of four trip elements:
lodging, car rental, meals, and airport arrival and departure. Each element of the
trip is priced according to a standard purchase by a hypothetical "WTTC
Traveler" in each destination.
This trip includes
the purchase of four nights' lodging, four days'
car rental, twelve meals, and one set of international arrival and departure
airport charges. Taxes imposed on these purchases are then
identified, recorded, and developed into a sector index. Next, these elements are
aggregated into a composite index for the destination, based on the average cost of each
element included in the standardized trip. If you would like more information on the
development of the Tax Barometer, please refer to our research methodology. |
 |
Rank |
|
Total tax $ for 5-day/4-night trip: |
$165.20 |
25 |
|
Percentage of total item cost: |
16.65% |
33 |
|
Overall tax index: |
1212 |
52 |
The first item in the above table represents
the combined tax total
paid by the WTTC Traveler in each of the four sectors in
Sydney. The second
item (percentage of total
item cost)
indicates what percentage of the total bill
is devoted to taxes.
The last item (overall tax index)
reflects the cumulative change in the amount
of tax paid in U.S. dollars between June 1994 and
June 2002.
The rankings show how
Sydney compares with other Tax Barometer cities; a ranking of 1
is most competitive, while a ranking of 52 is least competitive.
Summary:
Sydney
currently has an overall Tax Barometer index of
1212,
indicating a 1112%
increase in
travel-related taxes since June 15, 1994,
the highest increase among all 52 surveyed destinations.
This change can be
attributed to increases in each of the four monitored travel sectors,
the result of the introduction of a 10.00% GST. For a five-day, four-night trip to
Sydney, travelers
can expect to pay approximately $165.00 in tourism-related taxes, a
total that ranks as the 28th highest among all
surveyed destinations. |
 |
Rank |
|
Average price for 4-day rental (mid-size) without taxes: |
$146.65 |
- |
|
Airport access fee: |
10.00% |
- |
|
Goods and services tax (GST): |
10.00% |
- |
|
Stamp tax: |
2.00% |
- |
|
Vehicle registration recovery fee (per
day): |
AUS$ 2.59 |
- |
|
Total charges for 4-day rental with taxes: |
$188.40 |
- |
|
Total tax $ for 4-day rental: |
$41.75 |
25 |
|
Percentage of total car rental cost: |
22.16% |
34 |
|
Car rental tax index: |
1898 |
52 |
|
Summary:
Car rental taxes have risen 1798% in Sydney since 1994, the
highest increase among all 52 surveyed destinations. This change
can be attributed to the introduction of several taxes that were not
charged in the base index. These include: an airport access fee
(2000), goods and services tax (2000), stamp tax (2001) and vehicle
registration recovery fee (2001).
Tax charges on a four-day mid-sized car rental total approximately
$42.00, an amount that ranks as the 25th lowest among all surveyed
destinations. |
 |
Rank |
|
Average price for 4-nights lodging without taxes: |
$388.57 |
- |
|
Goods and services tax (GST): |
10.00% |
- |
| Total
charges for 4-nights lodging with taxes: |
$427.43 |
- |
|
Total tax $ for four-nights: |
$38.86 |
14 |
|
Percentage of total hotel room cost: |
9.09% |
18 |
|
Hotel
tax index: |
999 |
52 |
Summary: A 10.00% lodging tax was
introduced in 1998 and was subsequently replaced by a 10.00% GST in
2000. Because no hotel taxes were collected in the base index,
the new index was set at 999. This total indicates an
incalculable percentage increase in taxes. Tax charges on four
nights of lodging total approximately $39.00, the 14th lowest among
all 52 surveyed destinations. |
 |
Rank |
|
Average price for 12 restaurant meals
without taxes: |
$342.29 |
- |
|
Goods and services tax
(GST): |
10.00% |
- |
|
Total charges for 12 meals with taxes: |
$376.51 |
- |
|
Total tax $ for 12 meals: |
$34.22 |
29 |
|
Percentage of total restaurant meals cost: |
9.09% |
25 |
|
Restaurant tax index: |
999 |
52 |
Summary: As is the case in the lodging sector, a 10.00% GST
was introduced into a sector that had no previous applicable taxes.
The index was therefore set at 999 to signal an incalculable
percentage increase in taxes. Tax charges on 12 restaurant meals
total approximately $34.00, the 24th highest amount among all 52
surveyed destinations. |
 |
Rank |
|
Passenger movement charge: |
AUS$ 38.00 |
- |
|
International passenger service charge: |
AUS$ 36.56 |
 |
|
Noise levy: |
AUS$ 3.58 |
|
|
International air passenger ticket levy: |
AUS$ 10.00 |
|
|
Total tax $ for international arrival and departure: |
$50.37 |
44 |
|
Percentage of total trip cost: |
5.08% |
47 |
|
Air passenger tax index: |
441 |
51 |
(
in rank column indicates a tax increase in Tax Barometer No. 11)
Summary:
Taxes on international air passengers have increased 341% in Sydney
since 1994, the second highest increase among all 52 surveyed
destinations. This change can be attributed to the near doubling
of the passenger movement charge (from AUS$ 20.00 to AUS$ 38.00) and
to the introduction of two new taxes: the international passenger service charge,
introduced in September 2001, and the international air passenger
ticket levy, introduced in October 2001. This passenger service
charge was introduced to help pay for
airport services and security charges and was levied originally at a rate of AUS$
35.10, but has since been increased to AUS$ 36.56. Tax charges on international arrivals and
departures total approximately $50.00, ninth highest among all
surveyed destinations and the second highest for destinations
outside of the United States. |
 |
|
Barometer No. 1:
The charge per
departing airline passenger was increased from AUS$ 20.00 to AUS$
27.00.
Barometer No. 3:
A noise levy of AUS$ 3.40 was implemented, affecting all arriving
international passengers.
Barometer No. 6:
A new lodging tax of
10.0% was introduced.
Barometer No. 7:
The passenger movement charge was increased from AUS$ 27.00 to AUS$
30.00.
Barometer No. 8:
A correction was made to the air passenger charge sector in Barometer
No. 8 which eliminated a previously reported AUS$ 0.42 Security Tax.
Barometer No. 9:
A new 10.0% GST was introduced, affecting the car rental and
restaurant indices. Because no previous tax existed in the restaurant
sector, the index was pegged at 999. The GST replaced a 10.0% lodging
tax, so the hotel index remained the same. A new 10.0% airport access
fee on car rentals was also introduced.
Barometer No. 10:
Two new taxes were
introduced in the car rental sector: a 2.0% stamp tax, and an AUS$
2.59 per day vehicle registration recovery fee. In the airline
sectors, the passenger movement charge was increased from AUS$ 30.00
to AUS$ 38.00 and a new AUS$ 35.10 international passenger service
charge was introduced on 9-10-01 to pay for airport services and
security charges.
Barometer No.11:
The international
passenger service charge was increased from AUS$ 35.10 to AUS$ 36.56,
the noise levy was increased from AUS$ 3.40 to AUS$ 3.58, and a new
AUS$ 10.00 international air passenger ticket levy was introduced on
October 1, 2001.
|
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