BEX5115 · Tax clinic

Overview

The aim of the unit is for you to gain practical experience and skills in assisting taxpayers to comply with their tax obligations with an emphasis on techniques when interviewing tax clients, understanding a client's specific needs, writing clear tax advice and the ethical considerations applicable when providing tax advice. The professional practice tax environment will also allow you to gain advanced tax knowledge in topics including tax administration, types of assessable income, personal services income, residency of individuals, goods and services tax, employment/business/rental deductions, tax offsets, carrying on a business and non-commercial losses, business structures and lodgement of business activity statements.

Offerings

Assessment

The Handbook does not list a final examination among the assessment items. That is not a guarantee there is none.

Assessment details may change. Please refer to the assessment information in Moodle closer to the start of the teaching period.

Requisites

Learning outcomes

1. apply complex tax legislation, case law, and tax office rulings where appropriate to specific factual scenarios presented by clients
2. competently prepare for and conduct client interviews, manage client expectations, and communicate complex tax information clearly in both written and oral formats to diverse audiences
3. develop advanced investigative research skills to analyse complex or unique taxation issues and prepare well-structured advice, reports, or presentations individually or collaboratively in diverse groups
4. comprehend and demonstrate the ethical and professional obligations of a tax advisor, including client confidentiality, conflicts of interest, and professional conduct
5. critically evaluate the role of tax advisors and reflect upon learned skills and knowledge within a practical tax environment.

Workload

Minimum total expected workload to achieve the learning outcomes for this unit is 144 hours per semester typically comprising a mixture of scheduled learning activities and independent study. Independent study may include associated readings, assessment and preparation for scheduled activities. You are expected to complete all pre-class activities prior to your scheduled class, and post-class activities should be completed after your scheduled class. Learning activities may include a combination of teacher directed, peer directed and online engagement activities.

Student experience, not official rules. Nothing here changes what the Handbook says.