2013 Tasmanian State Taxation Convention - 17 October 2013

The Tax Institute will hold the Tasmanian State Conference in Launceston on 17-18 October 2013.

Papers of particular interest are:

• Ali Noroozi (IGOT), Observations on Tax Administration in Australia by the Inspector General of Taxation;
• Michael Hine (KPMG), Div. 7A One Step Forward – How Many Backwards?;
• Michael Parker (H&W), A Review of Major Tax Development 2013;
• Rob Warnock (M+K), Small Business CGT Concessions – Keeping Out of Harm’s Way;
• Elen Seymour (Uni WA), Tax and Social Networking; and
• Allan Swan (Swann & Yii), Tax Issues in Business Succession Planning and Second Generation Control Issues Workshop.

The Convention Dinner is at Josef Chromy Wines with the Winemaker Jeremy Dineen speaking.

A great program by the Organising Committee of Craig Leighton, Ken Davey, Matthew Pawson and Tania Triffitt.

Tax, the way ahead

Commissioner Jordan’s speech to the TTI 28th National Convention, Perth, 14 March 2013 foreshadowed under his leadership:

• greater emphasis by the ATO on effectiveness (not merely efficiency);
• earlier, more effective and more solution oriented consultation with stakeholders and consultants for tax policy and law design;
• implementation of streamlined and independent internal review of disputes and earlier and more timely, transparent and conciliatory dispute resolution; and
• restructuring of the private and class ruing systems processes to facilitate timely, transparent and responsive guidance but possibly with a fee-for-service arrangement if external independent advice is necessary.

This focus may be seen as responsive to aspects of stakeholder submissions and the Inspector General of Taxation reports on the:

• Review into the ATO’s use of early and alternative dispute resolution (released 31 July 2012); and
• Review of aspects of the ATO’s administration of private binding rulings (released 24 November 2010); and
• Review into the ATO’s administration of class rulings (released 14 March 2012).

While laudable, implementation will be challenging in such a large organisation and improvements are likely to be incremental only.

28th National Convention, Perth, WA

The Taxation Institute's 28th National Convention commence on 13 March 2013 at the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre 

Anticipated highlights of the convention in program order include:​

• Justice Gordon's Graham Hill Memorial Lecture
• Michael Clough and Mark Konza on recent ATO Investigation Issues
• ​Commissioner Jordan's address
• Matthew Pawson on Tax Law Partnership Issues
• Grahame Young on Amending Trust Deeds after Clark's Case
• Tony Slater QC on Part IVA Reform
• Ken Schurgott on Taxing Trust Distributions at 30 June 2013

​The program committee has done an amazing job.