Australia news LIVE: Rogue migration lawyers to be targeted in federal crackdown; US sends thousands of additional troops to Middle East as Trump weighs new strikes on Iran
The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) has banned the use of credit cards for bill payments to avoid surcharges, a move criticized by opposition MPs as harmful to small businesses. Meanwhile, the government is pursuing a crackdown on rogue migration lawyers.
Why it matters
The policy change reflects broader debates regarding the cost of government services and the impact of financial regulations on small business operations.
Assistant Immigration Minister Matt Thistlethwaite says the Tax Office’s ban on credit cards to pay bills was so other taxpayers wouldn’t have to pay the surcharge.
On Thursday, the Reserve Bank’s decision to ban credit card surcharges was implemented, and the ATO announced a day earlier that it would no longer accept bill payments made by credit cards. Opposition MPs said the move would hurt small businesses.
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