Classes

• There are 3 hours face-to-face teaching per week in this unit - consisting of 1 x 2 hour lecture and 1 x 1 hour tutorial.
• The timetable for classes can be found on the University web site at: http://www.timetables.mq.edu.au/
• Students can only change their allocated lecture or tutorial class in the first three (3) weeks through the e-Student system and only when there is a vacancy in that class or lecture.
• If a student changes classes in the first three weeks, it is their responsibility to inform both their old tutor and their new tutor. Failure to inform tutors about the change in class allocation may result in a student not obtaining all the class marks for which all students are eligible.
• You must attend your official tutorial class. Tutors will keep attendance records and you can only attend class or sit for the class presentation in your registered tutorial. Please ensure that you know your tutor’s name and your tutorial number as this information is required to be noted on your written essay report.
• Attendance: Students are expected to attend and participate in at least 10 out of 12 tutorial classes during the semester. Failure to do so will result in 0.5 marks per missed tutorial being deducted from the overall tutorial participation mark that would have been allocated to you.
• In cases where classes have been missed because of of illness or misadventure, it is up to the student to provide relevant documentation - (such as medical certificates or other reports) - explaining the reasons for their absence. The documentation must be lodged with BESS within 5 days of the absence from the class in question.
• Students are expected to arrive on time and not to leave until the class ends. 
• If you have a recurring problem that makes you late, or forces you to leave early, have the courtesy to discuss this with your lecturer/tutor. 
• Students who disturb or disrupt in lectures and tutorial class will be asked to leave.

Prizes

• The Australian Taxation Office Prize for Revenue Law and the CCH Prize for Revenue Law are awarded for proficiency in this unit in the first and second semester respectively.
• These prizes are offered in alternative semesters and are open to all students enrolled in the unit in the relevant semester.
• http://www.businessandeconomics.mq.edu.au/undergraduate_degrees/prizes_scholarships

Required and Recommended Texts and/or Materials

There are a number of general texts covering the content of this unit. Students are advised to acquire each of the texts appearing under the heading "PRESCRIBED TEXTS".

1. PRESCRIBED TEXTS (Students should have access to these books AT ALL TIMES).

1. Textbook:Woellner, Barkoczy, Murphy, Evans and Pinto, Australian Taxation Law (23rd edn, CCH 2013) - cited throughout this Unit Guide as Woellner'
2. Workbook:LJ Nethercott, G Richardson and K Devos, Australian Taxation Study Manual, Questions and Suggested Solutions (23rd edn, CCH, 2013)
3. Casebook: Krever, Australian Taxation Law Cases (Thomson Reuters, 2013)
4. Legislation: Barkoczy, 2013 Core Tax Legislation and Study Guide, (16th edition, CCH 2013)

2. RECOMMENDED TEXTBOOKS

The acquisitions of the following are OPTIONAL. Students should consult the lecturer before making a purchase from books in this category.

Any of the following books may also be of use:

• Sadiq (Gen Ed), Coleman, Hanegbi, Hart, Jogarajan, Krever, McLaren, Obst, Ting, Principles of Taxation Law (Thomson Reuters, 2013).
• S Barkoczy, Australian Tax Casebook (11th edn, CCH, 2012).
• P Kenny, Australian Tax 2013 (LexisNexis Butterworths).
• Coleman, Hart, Bondfield, McKerchar, McLaren, Sadiq and Ting, Australian Tax Analysis: Cases, Commentary, Commercial Applications, and Questions (10th edn – Thomson Reuters, 2013).
• Fisher and Hodgson, Tax Questions & Answers 2013 (Thomson Reuters, 2013).

Note: It is pointless having an out of date edition of the textbook.

3. REFERENCE MATERIALS

While references to the prescribed weekly readings for this Unit are set from standard textbooks on taxation, references will also be made during the lectures to reported cases, rulings and other pronouncements issued by the Australian Taxation Office.

(a) Commentaries: Both CCH and Thomson Reuters provide an on-line service covering a commentary on the relevant legislation, rulings and reports and other pronouncements of the Australian Taxation Office. These on-line tax services are also available in multi-volume loose-leaf formats.

The on-line service of CCH can be accessed from the University Library’s database.

(b) Useful Internet sites:  Internet resources are a very valuable source of information relating to current developments on taxation issues. Some useful sites include:

(i) ATO website: The Australian Taxation Office Internet site www.ato.gov.au . This site offers access to:

• all ATO rulings and other pronouncements
• current ATO publications
• legislation
• Australian and selected overseas tax case law
• all ATO forms

(ii) Access to other internet sites which are relevant to tax issues can be located at:

• Australian Treasury: http://www.treasury.gov.au. This site contains Treasury press releases and consultation documents.
• CPA Australia: http://www.cpaaustralia.com.au. This site contains relevant information including submissions canvassing tax reform.
• Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia: http://www.icaa.org.au. This site contains relevant information including submissions canvassing tax reform.
• Deloitte: http://www.deloitte.com.au Click on “tax central” to access information on proposed tax reforms.
• Ernst & Young: http://www.ey.com/global/gcr.nsf/austaralia/home. Good for keeping up to date on tax reforms.
• KPMG: http://www.kpmg.com.au. Very useful, especially for its “Daily Tax News”.
• Board of Taxation: http://www.taxboard.gov.au. Contains information on proposed tax changes.

(iii) Cases, rulings, and legislation can also be accessed from the following sites:

• Cases: Scaleplus site http://scaleplus.law.gov.au
• Cases: Australian Legal Information Institute site http://www.austlii.edu.au
• Cases and Taxation rulings: Australian Taxation Office; http://www.ato.gov.au

(c) Professional Reference Texts

• 2013 Master Tax Guide (CCH)
• 2013 Australian Tax Handbook (Thomson Reuters)
• 2013 Australian Master GST Guide (CCH)
• 2013 Australian GST Handbook (Thomson Reuters)

(d) Journals

Articles in legal and accounting journals are invaluable aids in keeping up to date with developments in tax law and practice.These include:

• Australian Tax Review
• Australian Tax Forum, a journal of taxation policy, law and reform
• Taxation in Australia
• The Tax Specialist
• The Australian Accountant
• The Journal of Australian Taxation
• The Chartered Accountant in Australia
• The Australian Law Journal, it contains a section called "Revenue Notes" which features articles on important decisions.

(e) Update on Tax Developments

For a weekly update on tax developments, students are advised to consult either CCH Tax Week or the Thomson Reuters Weekly Tax Bulletin; the former can be accessed from the University Library’s database.

Technology Used and Required

Students will need access to the internet as lecture handouts and notices will be available from the unit’s web page.

Unit Web Page

The BUSL320 homepage is at: ilearn.mq.edu.au You can directly access the Unit Guide, current lecture outlines, iLecture, announcements related to the Unit, library and other useful websites via the unit’s iLearn site.

Teaching and Learning Strategy

Lectures and Tutorials

The main means of presentation is by way of 13 two-hour lectures and 12 weekly tutorials of one hour duration. Lectures cover the basic material as outlined in the listed topics, as well as noting where each topic fits into the overall framework of the tax regime.

Each week’s lecture outlines (PowerPoint slides) will be posted on iLearn prior to the formal lecture. They are not intended to be a substitute for lecture attendance. They cannot be relied upon to the exclusion of the allocated reading tasks for each week. You are expected to prepare your own notes from the prescribed reading set out in this Unit Guide to supplement the material set out in the lecture outlines.

The Lectures will also be recorded on i-Lecture on a weekly basis.

Tutorial questions have been designed to provide a practical application of the principles discussed in lectures. Tutorials will involve an analysis and discussion of preset questions based on the previous week’s lecture.  They therefore complement and consolidate the topics covered in lectures. It is essential that adequate preparation be undertaken BEFORE each tutorial in order for the full benefit to be gained. Students will also be expected to participate in tutorials through contributing to class discussions and showing an interest in other learning activities conducted by the tutor.

• This unit uses research by Macquarie University researchers
• This unit uses research from external sources researchers.
• This unit gives you practice in applying research findings in your assignments