Assignment
BULAW5916 Taxation Law & Practice
Summer Semester, 2019/2020
Instructions
The purpose of this assignment is to enable you to consider and research a topic of current interest and relevance to Australian taxation law.
The assignment will be marked out of 30.
It is important that you take time to think through how to structure and present arguments and to review and discuss what the law is or should be in a particular area. Whilst discussion with others is encouraged, the final piece of work must be your own.
Please note that the word limit is 1,800-2,000 words in total. Assignments exceeding the word limit may not be marked and may be returned to the student for re-writing. Assignments less than the required length will risk not covering the topic adequately and may result in a fail. Do not include synopsis, references or bibliography in the word count.
Note: All Federation University Australia rules relating to referencing, citation and acknowledgement must be followed.
This assignment requires you to do independent research. In this regard, you may find the Library’s databases useful. You should appropriately reference your assignment using APA style.
Due Date
By 11 p.m. Friday in Week 10 – submission through Moodle ‘Assignment submission link’.
Topic
The Commonwealth Government regularly reviews issues of federation, and taxation reform. There have been discussions concerning the need for States (incudes states and territories) to obtain or generate more revenue in order to meet their growing expenses.
Required
Complete the tasks in Part A (15 marks), Part B (12 marks) and Part C (3 marks).
Part A
Select one of the State imposed taxes and describe how it currently operates. (5 marks)
Note: This can be a tax imposed by any State government in Australia.
Evaluate the State tax you have selected in terms of its function as a tax; and whether it exhibits the features (characteristics) of a good tax system. (10 marks)
Hints:
• Identify and discuss the meaning of ‘functions of taxation’.
• Identify and discuss features or characteristics of a good tax system.
• Limit your discussion to your selected State imposed taxation.
Part B
Propose a way of reforming your selected State tax to enable it to better meet the functions of taxation, while exhibiting the same or more features of a good tax system. (12 marks)
Hints:
• Limit your discussion to State imposed taxation.
• You cannot suggest that States may pass on responsibility for funding certain areas (eg Hospitals) to the Commonwealth.
Part C
Jon owns a two storey building. There is a shop on the ground floor and Jon lives on the first floor.
Jon sells the building and seeks your advice as to how the sale would be treated for GST purposes.
Advise Jon. (3 marks)