Atax wins govt advisory role

UNSW's Australian School of Taxation (Atax) has reinforced its position as the country's leading tax school with its selection on the Federal Government's Tax Design Advisory Panel.

The panel was a recommendation from an earlier review, which called for more industry input into tax design policy. It will be engaged by Treasury to provide expert advice on important new tax legislation.

UNSW is the only university represented on the 13-member panel, otherwise consisting of accounting firms, law firms, and economic research and modelling houses.

"This is a prestigious appointment," says Atax Head of School, Associate Professor Margaret McKerchar. "As the only university on the Expert Tax Design Panel, it is recognition of our position as the leading tax school in Australia."

"Our staff have great breadth of experience and expertise in many diverse aspects of taxation including law, design, policy and administration. We are looking forward to making a positive contribution to the government's reform agenda."

Assistant Treasurer Senator Nick Sherry said the panel represented "some of the best private sector brains in the field".

"The use of expert advice from the private sector is a common and long-running practice used by Government, but we're setting up a strategic and structured approach compared to the ad-hoc way of doing things in the past.

"This means better outcomes, better value for money and better quality [advice]," Senator Sherry said.

Media contact: Steve Offner | 02 9385 8107 | s.offner@unsw.edu.au