The Federal Budget is a massive document with some pretty dry policy details, but what's in it can directly affect your daily life, down to the last dollar. From tax and superannuation policy to childcare and education costs, government support payments, and even the number at the bottom of your supermarket docket, consumers need to know what the Budget means in real terms each year. That's why CHOICE sniffs out potential changes in the months and weeks before the budget, and stays up to bring you swift, consumer-focused analysis on Budget Night.
Federal Budget
Federal Budget
News, rumours, and analysis with a consumer focus.
Articles
Budget 2018
With $24 billion spent on roads and railways and a big pre-election tax cut, here's what the 2018 Federal Budget means for you.
What happened to those big budget announcements?
With the Federal Budget less than a week away, we look at how some of last year's big announcements are tracking.
Budget 2017: Winners and losers
Turnbull and Morrison’s second Budget tackles health, education, housing and welfare.
Budget 2017: Open data to drive competition in banking
Increased competition to drive cheaper financial products.
Budget 2017: Big penalties for businesses, bigger penalties for banks
Reforms coming to the banking industry.
Budget 2017: Getting your head around school funding
The federal government has announced its 10-year school funding plan. But how will "Gonski 2.0" work?
'We'll block Aussie shoppers,' warns eBay
Online marketplace threatens to geoblock Australians if imported goods are hit with the GST.
2017 Budget to tackle rental affordability
Morrison: increase housing supply by making long-term rental investments more attractive.
2016 Budget: winners and losers
Election year budget delivers modest tax cuts for "middle earners", but no shocks.
2016 Federal Budget: surprises and oddities
It's not all super tax and school funding.
Budget 2016: what to expect
29 April 2016 | With barely a weekend between now and Budget Night, it's time to take a look at what's on the table.
Dental health funding a kick in the teeth
29 April 2016 | The federal government's new dental health program boasts $2.1 billion dollars, but where is that money coming from?
Superannuation tax concessions
How well do super tax breaks work for you?
Whatever happened to all those Abbott policies?
20 April 2016 | A few weeks out from the 2016 Budget, take a look back at the policies the Government still hasn't made law.
$3.6 billion in budget savings lapse on a technicality
18 April 2016 | The new parliamentary session has caused old bills to be cleared from the docket.
Debt blowout lays groundwork for HECS reform
8 April 2016 | A new report gives the federal government the ammo needed to cut spending.
Federal budget 2015 explained
What are the major announcements in this year's budget and how will they affect you?
Federal budget 2015: finding revenue to reduce the deficit
11 May 2015 | Options range from a hike in the GST, a tax on bank deposits and the 'Netflix tax'.
Federal budget 2015: health care - what will be cut?
8 May 2015 | Many of the cuts announced last year have not happened - so where to now?
Federal budget 2015: childcare funding - will families pay more?
4 May 2015 | A single, means-tested payment looks likely to replace the childcare benefit and the childcare rebate.
Federal budget 2015: retirement incomes - what's in store?
29 April 2015 | How will the government deal with pensions and super tax concessions in this year's federal budget?
Will 2015-16 federal budget restore agencies' funding?
27 April 2015 | CHOICE calls on government to put its money in the right places.
Most Australians worried about 2015 Federal Budget
Consumers want fair tax reform and increased spending on health and education.
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International transactions
Avoid that rush to change your currency at the last moment in the worst place of all – the airport.