Australia is the world's third largest LNG exporter. This page shows, in real time, what the public actually collects in Petroleum Resource Rent Tax against what a flat 25 percent export tax on gas would raise instead. Toggle on the comparisons to see what the government squeezes out of beer, wine, spirits, fuel, and graduates.
The industry warns a tax would crush investment. Move the slider to see just how much profit is left to flow into shareholders' pockets. Australia's gas extraction sector earned an estimated A$35 billion in profit before tax in 2024. Even with a 25 percent export tax, the industry walks away with a massive A$18 billion in gas profit.
Revenue is the money coming in. Every cargo of gas leaves an Australian port and a cheque arrives. Add up every cheque for a year and you get total export revenue, which was about A$67 billion in 2024.
But revenue is not money in the bank. The companies still have to pay for drilling rigs, ships, processing plants, wages, fuel, interest on loans, and so on. A 25 percent export tax would apply to the revenue, the same way GST applies to a coffee. It is calculated off the top, before any of those costs come out.
Profit is what is left over after every bill is paid. The mortgage, the staff, the equipment, the lot. Whatever remains is profit. It is the money the company gets to keep, and in 2024, Australian gas extraction generated an estimated A$35 billion in gas-attributable profit.[8]
Profit is how a company grows and rewards its shareholders. It funds reinvestment, research and development, debt reduction, diversification, and dividends. It is the part the executives and shareholders get to fight over.
The Gas Gap was built and paid for by one Australian, with no funding, direction, or input from any political party, industry group, or third party. The aim is to lay out the public numbers and let them speak. If you spot an error in the figures or sources, or have additional information that would improve accuracy, please email [email protected].