Geoff Wilson

The plan to align the tax treatment of off-market share buybacks with that of on-market buybacks puts smaller companies, self-funded retirees and retail investors at a disadvantage, according to portfolio manager Scott Kelly, who worries the proposed changes are “just the beginning”.

The Treasury has released for public consultation draft legislation aimed at closing a tax loophole for off-market share buybacks, prompting renewed fears over the future of franking credits despite assurances that mum-and-dad investors will not be affected.