The course introduces students to the principles of tax law in Australia with a focus on income tax. The important provisions of the Income Tax Assessment Acts 1936 and 1997 about the concepts of income, capital gains, and deductions are considered in detail. Other topics include international aspects of income tax, tax treatment of different entities, tax planning and goods and services tax.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:

1. recognise situations that have income tax and GST implications under Australian law;
2. understand the principles and rules relating to the determination of income tax and GST (including tax avoidance provisions) as it operates in relation to individuals and other entities;
3. apply the tax law principles learnt to specific factual situations;
4. calculate income tax liability and GST liability;
5. discuss, analyse and draw conclusions in relation to the various tax issues considered, in a clear and concise manner, using statutory provisions and case authorities in support.

Research-Led Teaching

Your lectures and tutorials will incorporate insights gained from relevant research in various tax law areas, such as: the economic implications of particular taxes and tax policies; the High Court’s interpretation of key tax concepts; corporate tax avoidance and tax-motivated profit-shifting by Australian multinational enterprises; and tax incentives for early stage and innovative companies.

Required Resources

Required materials:

Prescribed Text: Sadiq et al, Principles of Taxation Law, Thomson Reuters, 2020 (available from the Harry Hartog bookshop on campus). A list of readings (i.e. chapter references) will be given in week 1. You will be able to manage with a 2019 or 2018 second hand copy but you will need to make sure you make updates where necessary (you will be alerted to changes in the lecture/tutorials).

Students are expected to have access to a copy of the prescribed book for the duration of the semester. The book can be purchased from the Harry Hartog bookshop on campus, with a small number of copies also available for 2 hour loan in the reserve loan section of the Law Library.

Legislation: Students must have access to the relevant legislation. Students may access the legislation on-line at the Austlii website (http://www.austlii.edu.au/).

Recommended Resources

Students are encouraged to make use of the Taxation Law subject guide on the ANU Library website, as this contains links to the major taxation law databases (e.g., CCH Intelliconnect) which provide access to bills, cases, commentary, legislation and tax rulings. In addition, ANU students have access to a wide range of taxation journals.

Staff Feedback

Students will be given feedback in the following forms in this course:

• Verbal feedback to their contributions during tutorials and lectures;
• Practice questions will be made available before the final exam;
• Verbal feedback if they attend consultation – students will be first asked their own view on questions they have difficulty with before the lecturer/tutor responds;
• Detailed written comments in relation to their Take Home Exam;
• Brief written feedback within a reasonable time if they present their understanding of a particular area via email;
• Online explanations (via Wattle) to quizzes conducted in tutorials.

Student Feedback

ANU is committed to the demonstration of educational excellence and regularly seeks feedback from students. Students are encouraged to offer feedback directly to their Course Convener or through their College and Course representatives (if applicable). The feedback given in these surveys is anonymous and provides the Colleges, University Education Committee and Academic Board with opportunities to recognise excellent teaching, and opportunities for improvement. The Surveys and Evaluation website provides more information on student surveys at ANU and reports on the feedback provided on ANU courses.

Other Information

ASSESSMENT REQUIREMENTS

As a further academic integrity control, students may be selected for a 15 minute individual oral examination of their written assessment submissions.

Any student identified, either during the current semester or in retrospect, as having used ghost writing services will be investigated under the University’s Academic Misconduct Rule.

COMMUNICATION 

Email and the Wattle Course Website

Email and the Wattle course website are the preferred methods of communication.

If necessary, the lecturer and tutors for this course will contact students on their official ANU student email address. Students should use this email address when contacting staff as spam filters used by ANU may not allow other email addresses to be received. Information about your enrolment and fees from the Registrar and Student Services' office will also be sent to this email address.

 

Announcements

Students are expected to check the Wattle site for announcements about this course, e.g. changes to timetables or notifications of cancellations. Notifications of emergency cancellations of lectures or tutorials will be posted on the door of the relevant room.

Class Schedule

Week/Session	Summary of Activities	Assessment
1	Introduction to the Australian Tax System; The Income Tax Formula
2	Residence and Source	Tutorial preparation
3	Assessable Income	Tutorial preparation
4	Assessable Income; Capital Gains Tax (CGT)	Quiz 1
5	Capital Gains Tax (CGT); General Deductions	Tutorial preparation; Take Home Exam released
6	General Deductions; Specific Deductions	Tutorial preparation; Take Home Exam due
7	Capital Expenditure; Trading Stock; Tax Accounting	Tutorial preparation
8	Partnerships and Trusts	Tutorial preparation
9	Companies	Tutorial preparation
10	Small Business Entities (SBEs); Goods and Services Tax (GST)	Tutorial preparation
11	Tax Planning; Anti-Avoidance; Tax Administration	Quiz 2
12	Special Topics in Tax Research	Tutorial preparation

Tutorial Registration

Please see Wattle for tutors' information.

Tutorial signup for this course will be done via the Wattle website. Detailed information about signup times will be provided on Wattle. When tutorials are available for enrolment, follow these steps:

1. Log on to Wattle, and go to the course site.

2. Click on the link “Tutorial enrolment”.

3. On the right of the screen, click on the tab “Become Member of ……” for the tutorial class you wish to enter.

4. Confirm your choice.

If you need to change your enrolment, you will be able to do so by clicking on the tab “Leave group…” and then re-enrol in another group. You will not be able to enrol in groups that have reached their maximum number. Please note that enrolment in ISIS must be finalised for you to have access to Wattle.

Assessment Summary

Assessment task	Value	Due Date	Return of assessment	Learning Outcomes
Tutorial Preparation	10 %	02/03/2020	*	1,2,3,4,5
Two Quizzes (Optional and Redeemable)	10 %	16/03/2020	23/03/2020	1,2,3,4
Take Home Exam	20 %	01/04/2020	04/05/2020	1,2,3,4,5
Final Exam	60 %	04/06/2020	02/07/2020	1,2,3,4,5

* If the Due Date and Return of Assessment date are blank, see the Assessment Tab for specific Assessment Task details

Policies

ANU has educational policies, procedures and guidelines, which are designed to ensure that staff and students are aware of the University’s academic standards, and implement them. Students are expected to have read the Academic Misconduct Rule before the commencement of their course. Other key policies and guidelines include:

• Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure
• Special Assessment Consideration Policy and General Information 
• Student Surveys and Evaluations
• Deferred Examinations
• Student Complaint Resolution Policy and Procedure

Assessment Requirements

The ANU is using Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website. In rare cases where online submission using Turnitin software is not technically possible; or where not using Turnitin software has been justified by the Course Convener and approved by the Associate Dean (Education) on the basis of the teaching model being employed; students shall submit assessment online via ‘Wattle’ outside of Turnitin, or failing that in hard copy, or through a combination of submission methods as approved by the Associate Dean (Education). The submission method is detailed below.

Moderation of Assessment

Marks that are allocated during Semester are to be considered provisional until formalised by the College examiners meeting at the end of each Semester. If appropriate, some moderation of marks might be applied prior to final results being released.

Participation

This is an on-campus course. Attendance at all teaching events, while not compulsory, is expected in line with the “Code of Practice for Teaching and Learning”, clause 2 paragraph (b).

Examination(s)

Details will be provided on the ANU timetabling website in due course. Please check the exam timetable. Information regarding permitted examination materials for the course will be available on the examination timetable website when the examination timetable is released: http://timetable.anu.edu.au/.

Assessment Task 1

Tutorial Preparation

During the 9 standard tutorials between weeks 2 and 12 (i.e. tutorials in which no quiz is conducted), students will have the opportunity to earn tutorial preparation marks. A maximum of 9 marks can be obtained (weighted at 10%).

1 mark will be awarded for satisfactory tutorial preparation evidenced by notes (e.g. ¾ of a page or 1 full A4 page) that shows a genuine attempt to answer all questions set for that particular tutorial. The 1 mark can only be gained if your answer refers to relevant tax principles. The mark will not be awarded if it appears that the notes are too vague or obviously irrelevant. Your tutor may choose to award ½ a mark if the notes are not quite satisfactory but show some attempt to answer the questions.

In general, the tutorial preparation marks can only be obtained by attending the tutorial and showing your preparation at the tutorial. But if you happen to be ill or have an exam clash during the time of your normal tutorial, your tutor may give you the opportunity to submit your tutorial preparation by email in lieu of attendance. Also, in weeks 6-8, when many courses have mid-semester exams, if you need to you can attend a different tutorial to that which you are enrolled in – but please let us know first.

Due Date: The due date listed in the assessment summary is the earliest possible date. This assessment task is assessed weekly.

Value: 10%

Assessment Task 2

Two Quizzes (Optional and Redeemable)

Two quizzes with five Multiple Choice Questions will be conducted in tutorials – the quizzes are scheduled for weeks 4 and 11. Each quiz will test you on tax law topics covered in lectures and tutorials, and will include a mixture of theory and practical problems. You will have 20 minutes to do the quiz and it will be open book. Each quiz mark will be optional and redeemable against the final exam mark (i.e. will not count towards your final grade if you obtain a higher percentage in the final exam).

Return date: The results for each quiz will be available on the Wattle gradebook approximately one week after the quiz. Quiz papers will be returned to students in tutorials.

Value: 10%

Assessment Task 3

Take Home Exam

You will be asked to give tax advice in relation to a hypothetical fact scenario.

The expected time required to write a very good answer to the Take Home Exam is ½ day-1 day. You will be given one week, and this is so that you can fit the Take Home Exam around your other commitments.

You need to treat the Take Home Exam like an exam – this means that you cannot discuss the question with your classmates, and you need to prepare the answer entirely by yourself.

You cannot seek help from your lecturer or tutor – this would obviously be unfair to other students. If you think some aspect of the question is unclear, you may seek clarification from your lecturer.

Word limit: 1,200 words

Presentation requirements: the Take Home Exam needs to be typed using size 12 font and either 1.5 or double spacing.

Due date: Wednesday 1 April

Estimated return date: Week 9

Take Home Exam Submission

Hard Copy Submission: Your Take Home Exam paper must be submitted in hard copy to the RSA school office, PAP Moran 2037. Your Take Home Exam must include the RSA cover sheet. Please retain an electronic copy of your Take Home Exam. Late submission of the Take Home Exam is not permitted.

Referencing requirements:

You will need to acknowledge sources to the extent that you rely on the analysis or arguments of others. You may use any accepted referencing system (e.g. Harvard). Further details will be provided during the semester.

Value: 20%

Assessment Task 4

Final Exam

You will need to provide tax advice in relation to a number of fact scenarios – you will need to give explanations for your answers, and also perform some calculations. There will be no MCQs. The duration of the final exam will be 3 hours and it will be open book. Further information about the exam will be provided closer to the time.

All aspects of the course are potentially examinable, including those areas previously assessed in the Take Home Exam.

Centrally administered examinations through Examinations, Graduations & Prizes will be timetabled prior to the examination period. The due date listed in the assessment summary is the earliest possible date. Please check ANU Timetabling for further information. Exam scripts will not be returned. Students may review their exam scripts by appointment during scheduled sessions at the RSA School Office.

Value: 60%

Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is a core part of the ANU culture as a community of scholars. At its heart, academic integrity is about behaving ethically, committing to honest and responsible scholarly practice and upholding these values with respect and fairness.

The ANU commits to assisting all members of our community to understand how to engage in academic work in ways that are consistent with, and actively support academic integrity. The ANU expects staff and students to be familiar with the academic integrity principle and Academic Misconduct Rule, uphold high standards of academic integrity and act ethically and honestly, to ensure the quality and value of the qualification that you will graduate with.

The Academic Misconduct Rule is in place to promote academic integrity and manage academic misconduct. Very minor breaches of the academic integrity principle may result in a reduction of marks of up to 10% of the total marks available for the assessment. The ANU offers a number of online and in person services to assist students with their assignments, examinations, and other learning activities. Visit the Academic Skills website for more information about academic integrity, your responsibilities and for assistance with your assignments, writing skills and study.

Online Submission

You will be required to electronically sign a declaration as part of the submission of your assignment. Please keep a copy of the assignment for your records. Unless an exemption has been approved by the Associate Dean (Education) submission must be through Turnitin.

Hardcopy Submission

For some forms of assessment (hand written assignments, art works, laboratory notes, etc.) hard copy submission is appropriate when approved by the Associate Dean (Education). Hard copy submissions must utilise the Assignment Cover Sheet. Please keep a copy of tasks completed for your records.

Late Submission

Individual assessment tasks may or may not allow for late submission. Policy regarding late submission is detailed below:

• Late submission is not permitted. A mark of 0 will be awarded if assessment tasks are submitted after the due date and an extension has not been requested.

Referencing Requirements

Accepted academic practice for referencing sources that you use in presentations can be found via the links on the Wattle site, under the file named “ANU and College Policies, Program Information, Student Support Services and Assessment”. Alternatively, you can seek help through the Students Learning Development website.

Returning Assignments

Return of Take Home Exam Papers:

The Take Home Papers will be returned in tutorials and results will also be available via Wattle.

Extensions and Penalties

Extensions and late submission of assessment pieces are covered by the Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure. Extensions may be granted for assessment pieces that are not examinations or take-home examinations. If you need an extension, you must request an extension in writing on or before the due date. If you have documented and appropriate medical evidence that demonstrates you were not able to request an extension on or before the due date, you may be able to request it after the due date.

Resubmission of Assignments

Resubmission of assessment tasks is not permitted.

Privacy Notice

The ANU has made a number of third party, online, databases available for students to use. Use of each online database is conditional on student end users first agreeing to the database licensor’s terms of service and/or privacy policy. Students should read these carefully. In some cases student end users will be required to register an account with the database licensor and submit personal information, including their: first name; last name; ANU email address; and other information.
In cases where student end users are asked to submit ‘content’ to a database, such as an assignment or short answers, the database licensor may only use the student’s ‘content’ in accordance with the terms of service – including any (copyright) licence the student grants to the database licensor. Any personal information or content a student submits may be stored by the licensor, potentially offshore, and will be used to process the database service in accordance with the licensors terms of service and/or privacy policy.
If any student chooses not to agree to the database licensor’s terms of service or privacy policy, the student will not be able to access and use the database. In these circumstances students should contact their lecturer to enquire about alternative arrangements that are available.

Distribution of grades policy

Academic Quality Assurance Committee monitors the performance of students, including attrition, further study and employment rates and grade distribution, and College reports on quality assurance processes for assessment activities, including alignment with national and international disciplinary and interdisciplinary standards, as well as qualification type learning outcomes.

Since first semester 1994, ANU uses a grading scale for all courses. This grading scale is used by all academic areas of the University.

Support for students

The University offers students support through several different services. You may contact the services listed below directly or seek advice from your Course Convener, Student Administrators, or your College and Course representatives (if applicable).

• ANU Health, safety & wellbeing for medical services, counselling, mental health and spiritual support
• ANU Diversity and inclusion for students with a disability or ongoing or chronic illness
• ANU Dean of Students for confidential, impartial advice and help to resolve problems between students and the academic or administrative areas of the University
• ANU Academic Skills and Learning Centre supports you make your own decisions about how you learn and manage your workload.
• ANU Counselling Centre promotes, supports and enhances mental health and wellbeing within the University student community.
• ANUSA supports and represents undergraduate and ANU College students
• PARSA supports and represents postgraduate and research students