Students

ACCG8124 – Applied Taxation Law

2026 – Session 2, In person-scheduled-weekday, North Ryde

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff
Grant Richardson
grant.richardson@mq.edu.au
Credit points Credit points
10
Prerequisites Prerequisites
(ACCG614 or ACCG6014) and admission to GradDipAccgPrac or MAccg or MAccLead or MAccg(Adv) or MProfAcc or MProfAccgLead
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description

This unit examines the laws relating to income tax (including the taxation of capital gains), fringe benefits tax and the goods and services tax in Australia and their application to determine a particular entity’s tax liability. In completing this unit, students will be able to identify, explain, analyse and apply relevant tax legislation, case law and rulings to a variety of fact situations, making conclusions and recommendations. In addition, the tax issues specific to individuals, partnerships, trusts and companies are considered and compared. Specifically, students can identify, analyse and apply the law relating to income tax and determine a particular taxpayer's final income tax liability; identify, analyse and apply the law relating to GST and FBT and determine a particular taxpayer's GST and FBT liability; explain the relevant tax laws and related legal precedents and apply them to a problem or fact situation; present verbally and in writing conclusions as to the tax implications arising from a particular set of facts.

Important Academic Dates

Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  • ULO1: Identify, analyse and apply the law relating to income tax and determine a particular taxpayer's final income tax liability.
  • ULO2: Identify, analyse and apply the law relating to GST and FBT and determine a particular taxpayer's GST and FBT liability.
  • ULO3: Explain the relevant tax laws and related legal precedents and apply them to a problem or fact situation.
  • ULO4: Present verbally and in writing conclusions as to the tax implications arising from a particular set of facts.

General Assessment Information

Late Submission Penalties

If you submit your assessment late, 5% of the total possible marks will be deducted for each day (including weekends), up to 7 days. Submissions more than 7 days late will receive a mark of 0. 

Example 1 (out of 100):

If you score 85/100 but submit 20 hours late, you will lose 5 marks and receive 80/100. 

Example 2 (out of 30):

If you score 27/30 but submit 20 hours late, you will lose 1.5 marks and receive 25.5/30.

Extensions

Automatic Short Extension: Some assessments are eligible for automatic short extension. You can apply for an automatic extension before the due date.

Special Consideration: If you need more time due to serious issues and for any assessments that are not eligible for Short Extension, you must apply for Special Consideration. Need help? Review the Special Consideration Page for further details.

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due Groupwork/Individual Short Extension AI Approach
Skills development: Quiz 15% No Week 5 Individual No Open AI
Professional practice: Business report 35% No 06/10/2026 Individual Yes Open AI
Formal examination 50% No Exam Week Individual No Observed

Skills development: Quiz

Assessment Type 1: Problem-based task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 15 hours
Due: Week 5
Weighting: 15%
Groupwork/Individual: Individual
Short extension 3: No
AI Approach: Open AI

The purpose of this assessment is for you to demonstrate your understanding and knowledge of key topics from the unit covered in Weeks 1 to 3.
 
You will participate in an online quiz. Feedback on this test will help you assess your progress through the unit content.
 
Deliverable(s): Online quiz
 
Individual assessment
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Identify, analyse and apply the law relating to income tax and determine a particular taxpayer's final income tax liability.
  • Explain the relevant tax laws and related legal precedents and apply them to a problem or fact situation.

Professional practice: Business report

Assessment Type 1: Professional task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 30 hours
Due: 06/10/2026
Weighting: 35%
Groupwork/Individual: Individual
Short extension 3: Yes
AI Approach: Open AI

The purpose of this assessment is for you to write a business analysis report demonstrating concerns of taxpayers from a practical perspective.
 
Skills in focus:
  • Critical thinking and problem solving
  • Communication skills
  • Discipline knowledge
  • Work readiness
Deliverable(s): Business report [max 2000 words]
 
Individual assessment
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Identify, analyse and apply the law relating to GST and FBT and determine a particular taxpayer's GST and FBT liability.
  • Explain the relevant tax laws and related legal precedents and apply them to a problem or fact situation.
  • Present verbally and in writing conclusions as to the tax implications arising from a particular set of facts.

Formal examination

Assessment Type 1: Examination
Indicative Time on Task 2: 40 hours
Due: Exam Week
Weighting: 50%
Groupwork/Individual: Individual
Short extension 3: No
AI Approach: Observed

The purpose of this assessment is for you to formally demonstrate the expertise you have gained in this unit.
 
You will participate in a 2-hour exam held during the University Examination period.
 
Important information about the exam will be made available on the unit iLearn page. You should also review the MQ Exams website for general tips. 
 
Deliverable(s): Formal exam
 
Individual assessment
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Identify, analyse and apply the law relating to GST and FBT and determine a particular taxpayer's GST and FBT liability.
  • Explain the relevant tax laws and related legal precedents and apply them to a problem or fact situation.
  • Present verbally and in writing conclusions as to the tax implications arising from a particular set of facts.

1 If you need help with your assignment, please contact:

  • the academic teaching staff in your unit for guidance in understanding or completing this type of assessment
  • Academic Success for academic skills support.

2 Indicative time-on-task is an estimate of the time required for completion of the assessment task and is subject to individual variation.

3 An automatic short extension is available for some assessments. Apply through the Service Connect Portal.

Delivery and Resources

Classes

There are thirteen three-hour seminars, which consist of a 2-hour lecture and a 1-hour seminar component each week, as detailed later in this Unit Guide.

Class attendance for this unit is compulsory.

Staff teaching in this unit will be available for consultation with students. A timetable of when staff will be available will be posted on the Unit's iLearn website.

Prescribed Textbook

The prescribed textbook for this course is as follows:

Australian Taxation, Fourth Edition (2026), Bevacqua, J., Marsden, S., Morgan, A., Morton, E., Devos, K., and Verma, S. John Wiley & Sons Ltd, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.

https://highered.au.wiley.com/catalogue/bevacqua-australian-taxation-4th-edition/

Unit Schedule

Unit Schedule

Week

Lecture

Assessment Due

01

Lecture 1

The Australian taxation system and tax formula

 

02

Lecture 2

International aspects of taxation

General principles of income

 

03

Lecture 3

Income from personal exertion

Income from property

Income from business

 

04

Lecture 4

Tax accounting

General deductions

 

05

Lecture 5

Specific deductions

Trading stock

Online quiz

06

Lecture 6

Capital allowances and capital works

Blackhole expenses

Small business concessions

 

07

Lecture 7

Capital gains tax (CGT)

 

08

Lecture 8

Goods and services tax (GST)

 

09

Lecture 9

Taxation of individuals

Case study

10

Lecture 10

Taxation of partnerships and trusts

Superannuation

 

11

Lecture 11

Taxation of companies

 

12

Lecture 12

Fringe benefits tax (FBT)

Ethics, tax avoidance, and tax evasion

 

13

Lecture 13

Revision

 

14

EXAMINATION PERIOD

 

 

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

Students seeking more policy resources can visit Student Policies (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/policies). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.

To find other policies relating to Teaching and Learning, visit Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au) and use the search tool.

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/admin/other-resources/student-conduct

Results

Results published on platform other than eStudent, (eg. iLearn, Coursera etc.) or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit connect.mq.edu.au or if you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au

Academic Integrity

At Macquarie, we believe academic integrity – honesty, respect, trust, responsibility, fairness and courage – is at the core of learning, teaching and research. We recognise that meeting the expectations required to complete your assessments can be challenging. So, we offer you a range of resources and services to help you reach your potential, including free online writing and maths support, academic skills development and wellbeing consultations.

Student Support

Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/

Academic Success

Academic Success provides resources to develop your English language proficiency, academic writing, and communication skills.

The Library provides online and face to face support to help you find and use relevant information resources. 

Student Services and Support

Macquarie University offers a range of Student Support Services including:

Student Enquiries

Got a question? Ask us via the Service Connect Portal, or contact Service Connect.

IT Help

For help with University computer systems and technology, visit https://students.mq.edu.au/support/technology/service-desk. 

When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.

Unit information based on version 2026.03 of the Handbook