PENSIONERS NEED CONSISTENT INFORMATION ON SOLAR POWER INCOME
30-April-2010
Federal Member for Indi, Sophie Mirabella, has hit at the lack of information provided to pensioners and other Centrelink recipients about income received from solar panels.
“Quite apart from the cases which have been highlighted on the news recently, a number of people have approached me concerned about the issue,” Mrs Mirabella said.
“The Federal Government has been encouraging people to install solar panels, make their homes green and feed excess electricity into the grid through solar panel grants.
“What they haven’t done is told people that they are going to be hit for six, with any income derived from those solar panels assessable as income by Centrelink, potentially reducing their payment.
“The bizarre part of this situation though, is that the Australian Tax Office doesn’t see it as income, therefore it doesn’t get assessed on a tax return.
“This is just another example of this government’s deception, again attacking less advantaged people in our community.
“We need clarity and consistency on whether or not solar power fed back into the grid is regarded as income or not.
“Again a smoke and mirrors approach to the environment has done nothing more than confuse the community and show this government up as the flip flop merchants they are.”
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