Overview

This unit enables students, through the study of cases, statutes and other material, to acquire a comprehensive knowledge and understanding of, and competence in, Australian taxation law and policy. This unit introduces students to the forms of taxation used in Australia to raise revenue. It focuses on Commonwealth taxes, in particular income tax, goods and services tax and fringe benefits tax. Students are also introduced to the more important state taxes. In its treatment of those taxes, the unit examines the principles used in Australian law to determine what is income, what is deductible, how entities are taxed and the administration of the taxation system.

Requisites

Prerequisites

75 credit points in Law units

Teaching periods
Location
Start and end dates
Last self-enrolment date
Census date
Last withdraw without fail date
Results released date

Learning outcomes

Students who successfully complete this unit will be able to:

  • Describe and evaluate the Australian taxation law and related policy debates and reform proposals
  • Locate and interpret provisions of the principal tax acts and apply it to a factual scenario in order provide appropriate legal advice
  • Communicate with clients and others about their rights and obligations under Australian taxation law with reference to a particular legal problem
  • Conduct taxation law related research and use the results of that research to develop a legal argument

Teaching methods

Hawthorn

Type Hours per week Number of weeks Total (number of hours)
On-campus
Class		 3.00  12 weeks  36
Online
Lecture (asynchronous)		 1.00  12 weeks  12
Unspecified Activities
Various		 8.50  12 weeks  102
TOTAL     150

Assessment

Type Task Weighting ULO's
AssessmentIndividual 50 - 70% 1,2,3,4 
Research AssignmentIndividual 30 - 50% 1,2,3,4 

Content

  • Overview of the Australian tax system
  • Concepts of income, source, derivation and residence, tax accounting
  • Capital gains tax
  • Fringe benefits tax
  • Goods and services tax
  • General allowable deductions and special rules
  • Specific deductions
  • Offsets relevant to individuals and the Medicare levy
  • Taxation of companies, taxation of dividends, and the imputation system
  • Taxation of trusts and taxation of partnerships
  • Overview of international tax issues
  • The tax system in practice
  • Introduction to state taxes

Study resources

Reading materials

A list of reading materials and/or required textbooks will be available in the Unit Outline on Canvas.