00:01An $81 million bill and uncharted territory for a rideshare company.
00:07This is going to send shockwaves through the boardrooms of tech companies right around the world.
00:12The High Court finding fares paid to Uber drivers qualify as wages,
00:16making the company liable to pay five years worth of payroll tax.
00:20But Uber says the result could have unintended ramifications
00:24for mortgage brokers, medical practices and the broader gig economy.
00:28We do not believe digital marketplaces like Uber should be captured by payroll tax legislation
00:35designed for traditional employment and contracting arrangements, the company said in a statement.
00:41Today's decision has put Uber on an uphill road
00:44and now it's calling on lawmakers to modernise payroll tax for the digital age.
00:50But there doesn't seem to be much appetite for that, at least not in New South Wales
00:55where today the government welcomes the High Court findings as helping to firm up the state's tax base.
01:01These are companies that have been avoiding paying tax,
01:05have been avoiding until recently paying workers what they are due
01:09as contributors to our economy and those escape hatches are now closing.
01:13Other states and countries are likely watching on.
01:16these are still trying to form prices again.
01:17...
01:17You
