20 cents 2010 - Australian Taxation Office
By CAA | Tuesday, 27 February 2024
On February 3, 2010, the Royal Australian Mint announced the production of a circulating commemorative 20 cent coin to mark the Centenary of the Australian Taxation Office. The 100th birthday occured on November 11 and celebrations on November 12.
The Tax Office's establishment in 1910 within Treasury as the Land Tax Office marked a significant development in the fledgling Federation. The Office was created by Prime Minister Andrew Fisher's reformist Labor government as a way of funding its important social policies such as the aged and invalid pensions.
Of course, 11 November has since become Remembrance Day, and in deference to the fallen and to war veterans, the Tax Office will mark its 100th birthday on the following day, 12 November. The Mint and Tax Office both fall within my portfolio responsibilities as Assistant Treasurer and it's great to see the two agencies involved together in an event of national significance such as this.
- Senator Nick Sherry, Assistant Treasurer
On the coin appear the phrase Working for all Australians. The final design was developed in consultation with Mint designers and the Tax Office. The coins started to circulate in June 2010.
The ATO (Australian Taxation Office) is the principal revenue collection agency of the Australian Government. It has responsibility for administering the Australian federal taxation system, superannuation legislation, and other associated matters.
At the end of the nineteenth century each of the six Australian colonies had their own tax systems, which were almost entirely reliant on customs and excise duties.
The Australian Taxation Office has its roots in the Land Tax Act 1910, when a Commissioner of Land Taxation was appointed to administer the legislation and an office under the direction of the Commissioner was created as a branch of Treasury. This office has had several names during its history including Federal Taxation Office, Commonwealth Taxation Office and now the Australian Taxation Office.
Australia's earliest national taxes were customs and excise duties, which the states gave up in order to secure interstate free trade and ensure adequate protection for Australian industry. Customs duties were also designed to act as trade barriers between the colonies.
One of the significant results of Federation in 1901 was the removal of all duties on goods traded between Australian states.
- Australian Taxation Office
20 cents 2010 - Price guide and values
Specifications
- Mintage: 11,575,000
- Mint: Canberra
- Alloy: 75% copper and 25% nickel
- Weight: 11.31 g
- Diameter : 28.52 mm
- Engraver: Obverse: Ian Rank-Broadley, Reverse: Stuart Devlin
- Edge: Milled
