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The Australian government has provided details on new legislation to encourage companies to offer discounted share plans to employees. To qualify, companies must make the plan available to at least 75% of their employees.

On October 14, the Australian government announced that it will develop new legislation to encourage employee stock plans that would come into effect in July 2015.

Three Australian government ministries announced two reviews to determine how to better support technology startups in Australia.

On June 24, 2021, Meld Studios announced that it was transitioning ownership from its three founders to an employee ownership trust (EOT) that owns shares on behalf of all 22 Meld employees.

In the factsheet Budget 2021-2022: Tax Incentives to Support the Economy (PDF, page 10), released on May 11, the treasury of Australia announced that it would propose reforms to enhance employee ownership. The reforms, if enacted as proposed, would change the time at which taxes are due on income from tax-deferred employee share schemes (ESS), which is currently taxed at the cessation of employment.

Although it had been considering recommending changes to the rules governing employee ownership in its budget proposal, the government of Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott has said it will instead introduce its proposals later in the year.

The economics and finance policy committee, composed of members of the governing Liberal/National coalition in the Australian Parliament, met in early March to call for reforms that would encourage more equity compensation and employee ownership in Australia.

The Australian government has withdrawn a proposal to tax equity awards at the time of grant for higher income taxpayers (those who make more than $60,000 Australian, which is about U.S. $47,000).

Employee ownership in Australia is currently limited primarily to employee stock purchase plans and employee equity grant programs such as stock options. A new legislative committee report recommends that the use of employee ownership trusts be investigated.

The Australian Securities & Investments Commission (ASIC) issued new guidance de