LAW 3130 Revenue Law and Practice

STAFFING:

REQUISITES:

RATIONALE:

An understanding of the principles of taxation is one of the most important and useful tools for anyone seeking advancement to senior management status in the corporate world, to those providing accounting or financial services to business and to those seeking to be professional accountants or lawyers. It is also equally important for individuals in managing their personal affairs. There would be no major business decision in Australia, from the purchase of an item of plant to the overall organisation of a business structure, which is taken without regard to the taxation implications. Indeed, tax is often the motivating factor behind a decision or action. A study of taxation law involves not only an attainment of knowledge of the provisions of the various Tax Acts, but also a large volume of case law which has defined and/or clarified both the acts or general concepts not defined in the Acts, as well as the ability to apply this knowledge to factual situations.

SYNOPSIS:

In order to participate in the planning of a client's tax affairs it is necessary to understand the relevant sections of the appropriate taxation laws applicable to the transaction or entity structure. This course primarily introduces students to the Income Tax Assessment Act (ITAA) and the Goods and Services Tax Act 1999 (GSTA). Topics covered include assessable income, residency, capital gains tax, allowable deductions, classes of taxpayers, calculation of tax payable and offsets/rebates of tax, tax administration provisions and the taxation of business entities. Goods and Services Tax is also covered in detail.

OBJECTIVES:

On successful completion of this course students will be able to:

1. explain the general operation of the Income Tax Assessment Act and the basic concepts underlying its operation;
2. undertake an analysis of the income tax laws and apply the principles of taxation law to factual situations; and
3. identify and explain the legislative framework of Goods and Services Tax in Australia and apply the law to factual situations.

TOPICS:

TEXT and MATERIALS required to be PURCHASED or accessed:

ALL textbooks and materials are available for purchase from USQ BOOKSHOP (unless otherwise stated). Orders may be placed via secure internet, free fax 1800642453, phone 07 46312742 (within Australia), or mail. Overseas students should fax +61 7 46311743, or phone +61 7 46312742. For costs, further details, and internet ordering, use the 'Textbook Search' facility at http://bookshop.usq.edu.au click 'Semester', then enter your 'Course Code' (no spaces).

LAW3130 study package available from the USQ Bookshop.

REFERENCE MATERIALS:

STUDENT WORKLOAD REQUIREMENTS:

ASSESSMENT DETAILS:

NOTES:

1.

The examination is scheduled to be held in the end-of-semester examination period. Students will be advised of the official examination date after the timetable has been finalised.

IMPORTANT ASSESSMENT INFORMATION

1. Attendance requirements:
   It is the students' responsibility to attend and participate appropriately in all activities (such as lectures, tutorials, laboratories and practical work) scheduled for them, and to study all material provided to them or required to be accessed by them to maximise their chance of meeting the objectives of the course and to be informed of course-related activities and administration. If you are an international student in Australia you are advised to attend all classes at your campus. Failure to attend may infringe the conditions of your student visa.
2. Requirements for students to complete each assessment item satisfactorily:
   To complete the examination satisfactorily, students must obtain at least 50% of the marks available for the examination.
3. Penalties for late submission of required work:
   If students submit assignments after the due date without prior approval then a penalty of 20% of the total marks gained by the student for the assignment will apply for each working day late.
4. Requirements for student to be awarded a passing grade in the course:
   To be assured of receiving a passing grade a student must submit all of the summative assessment items, achieve at least 50% in the examination and at least 50% of the available weighted marks for the summative assessment items.
5. Method used to combine assessment results to attain final grade:
   The final grades for students will be assigned on the basis of the weighted aggregate of the marks (or grades) obtained for each of the summative assessment items in the course. Students who do not qualify for a Passing grade may, at the discretion of the Examiner, be awarded a Supplementary Examination and/or assigned additional work to demonstrate to the Examiner that they have achieved the required standard.
6. Examination information:
   This is an open examination. Candidates may have access to any material during the examination except the following: electronic communication devices (eg mobile telephones, pagers), bulky materials, devices requiring mains power and material likely to disturb other students.
7. Examination period when Deferred/Supplementary examinations will be held:
   Any Deferred or Supplementary examinations for this course will be held during the next examination period.
8. University Regulations:
   Students should read USQ Regulations 5.1 Definitions, 5.6. Assessment, and 5.10 Academic Misconduct for further information and to avoid actions which might contravene University Regulations. These regulations can be found at the URL http://www.usq.edu.au/corporateservices/calendar/part5.htm. Students should also read the Faculty of Business Guide to Policies and Procedures of the Faculty which can be found at the URL http://www.usq.edu.au/handbook/current/buspolproc.html.

ASSESSMENT NOTES

OTHER REQUIREMENTS:

1. E-mail and Internet Access: Students will require access to e-mail and Internet access to USQConnect for this course.
2. Dishonest Actions: (i) Any student who is alleged to have performed a dishonest action relating to any assessment in the course will have a course of action taken against him/her as outlined in the Academic Regulations. (ii) Pieces of assessment should be the work of individual students. Joint pieces of assessment are not permitted unless written approval has been obtained from the Examiner. (iii) Dishonest action in relation to assessment includes: copying or attempting to copy the work of others; use of or attempting to use information prohibited from use in that form of assessment; submitting the work of another as your own; consciously committing acts of plagiarism, ie taking and using another's thoughts or writings as one's own with intent to deceive, which occurs when paragraphs, sentences, a single sentence or significant parts of a sentence which are copied directly, are not enclosed in quotation marks and appropriately footnoted or referenced in the text; direct quotations are not used, but text is paraphrased or summarised, and the source of the material is not acknowledged by footnoting or other reference in the text.