There are two measures relating to tax offsets that give with one hand while taking with the other. On the giving front, people eligible for the low-income tax offset will see a small increase in their weekly take-home pay. This results from the offset being paid weekly, rather than in a lump sum tax refund at the end of the financial year.

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The taking results from the government phasing out the dependent spouse tax offset for non-working spouses born after June 30, 1971. This benefits childless couples by reducing tax payable by the working spouse. The maximum benefit is more than $2200 a year if the non-working spouse earns less than $282 in a year.

Some of the biggest losers will be employees who have had the cost of their private car subsidised by the fringe benefits tax system. Under the current system, the more kilometres a car does, the less tax is paid.

Instead of four rates being used under the statutory method for calculating car fringe benefits, ranging from 26 per cent for cars travelling fewer than 15,000 kilometres a year down to 7 per cent for cars travelling more than 40,000 kilometres, there will be one rate of 20 per cent.

Another group of winners will be individuals hit by a disaster who received subsidies or other grants. Amounts received as income recovery subsidy payments will be exempt from tax. These people will also not be liable for the new disaster levy that will apply for the 2011-2012 year.

The disaster recovery and rebuilding levy will be payable by people with taxable incomes of more than $50,000 for the 2011-2012 year. It will be paid at the rate of 0.5 per cent on taxable income between $50,000 and $100,000, and 1 per cent on income greater than $100,000.