High Court rules Uber must pay $81m payroll tax in blow to gig economy
Australia's High Court has dismissed Uber's final appeal in a six-to-one ruling, finding that fares the company remits to its drivers are wages under New South Wales payroll tax law and leaving it with an immediate bill of eighty-one million dollars. Chief Justice Stephen Gageler wrote that contractor provisions in state tax laws always speak in the present and extend to modern gig-economy models, rejecting Uber's argument that it acted merely as a payment collection agent. The New South Wales government and the Transport Workers Union welcomed the decision, while legal experts warn that platforms like DoorDash and DiDi face immediate exposure across other states. Uber warned of significant unintended consequences for intermediary business models, calling for legislative reform. Also in this briefing: Canva and National Australia Bank cut thousands of roles as unemployment forecasts rise; David Jones store closures loom; and New South Wales Health manages a major cyber incident across its public dental voucher network.
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Australia's High Court ruled Uber must pay an eighty-one million dollar payroll tax bill.
Uber driver passenger fares were legally deemed taxable wages because the company controls pricing and fees.
The tax ruling immediately exposes delivery platforms like DoorDash and DiDi to similar legal liabilities.
Canva is cutting twenty-two percent of its workforce after its valuation dropped to forty-three point nine billion dollars.
National Australia Bank plans to cut up to two thousand five hundred jobs amid rising credit impairments.
An overseas cyber attack breached one hundred thousand dental practitioner records within New South Wales Health.
- 01Intro1 min
- 02High Court rules Uber must pay $81m payroll tax in blow to gig economy: The Verdict and Legal Mechanics2 min
- 03High Court rules Uber must pay $81m payroll tax in blow to gig economy: Sector Exposure and Market Fallout2 min
- 04Canva and NAB cut thousands of roles as bank warns unemployment will rise1 min
- 05Where things stand1 min
- 06NSW Health declares major cyber incident after 100,000 files breached1 min
- 07Outro1 min
- NAB to cut 2,500 roles in restructure amid economic turbulence
- Iconic retail giant in administration after 188 years as stores 'closing soon'
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- Canva announces major job cuts, 1,271 employees affected in global restructure
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- Big bank's profit drops, warns of uncertainty ahead
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- Australia
- David Jones goes into administration, with store closures expected and thousands of jobs at risk
- Australia’s oldest retailer David Jones enters administration as economic pressures mount
- David jones administration what next
- RBA lifts cash rate to 4.60%, the fourth rise of 2026
- NSW Health Provider Data Breach: What Dental and Health Practices Should Do Now | All IT Services
- Overseas hackers suspected in state health data breach
- Police Look Offshore After NSW Health Breach
- ByteToBreach Claims Theft of 100,000 Documents in Alleged NSW Health Cyberattack – Threat Intelligence
- Police investigating NSW Health cyber breach - Medical Republic
- Oral Health Fee For Service Scheme (OHFFSS)
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