JAT Volume 22 Issue 2 – Curtin Tax Clinic

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2019 NATIONAL TAX CLINIC PROJECT: CURTIN UNIVERSITY – CURTIN TAX CLINIC

DONOVANCASTELYN, STEPHANIE BRUCE AND ANNETTE MORGAN

Abstract

This article chronicles the experience of the Curtin Tax Clinic during the 2019 National Tax Clinic Program pilot. Relevantly, this work provides a detailed overview of the design of the Curtin Tax Clinic, the role of clinical staff, student involvement, and the services provided to clients. Reflective accounts of the student experience and client case studies demonstrate the perceived value, and key learnings and challenges of the initiative. Observably, students found that their experience in the Curtin Tax Clinic promoted their sense of community and belonging, in addition to improving their understanding of taxation law and developing greater confidence in their social and professional abilities. Additionally, clients benefited from the suite of taxation services offered by the Curtin Tax Clinic, with many reporting high levels of satisfaction and improved understanding of their taxation obligations. The article concludes with an endorsement for the National Tax Clinic Program and provides key recommendations for the continued success of the initiative.

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JAT Volume 22 Issue 2 – CDU Tax Clinic

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NATIONAL TAX CLINIC PROGRAM IN THE NORTHERN TERRITORY, AUSTRALIA: A PROJECT MODEL INNOVATION

INDRA ABEYSEKERA

Abstract

This paper provides an overview of the activities undertaken by the Charles Darwin University Tax Clinic (‘CDU Tax Clinic’) —located in Australia’s Northern Territory —as part of the inaugural National Tax Clinic Program conducted over the course of 2019. The CDU Tax Clinic was designed as a teaching clinic in order to assist unrepresented taxpayers with their taxation affairs while offering students real-world, client-based and practical experience. The project design considered the population distribution of the Northern Territory and ways of reaching unrepresented taxpayers located in three major towns, adopting an intrapreneurial and client-centred approach with the CDU Tax Clinic open seven days per week. In the period from late June 2019 to the end of October 2019, the CDU Tax Clinic served 266 clients in various ways, with six students undertaking work experience. The average time spent with a client was approximately two and a half hours. This paper provides a roadmap to maximising outreach to clients in a thinly populated geography. The findings are analysed in terms of clients who visited the CDU Tax Clinic and are generalisable to such populations. This paper shows the impact of a social project assisting socially disadvantaged groups, and a university engaging with the community through a professor and students.

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JAT Volume 22 Issue 2 – ANU Tax Clinic

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2019 National Tax Clinic Project: the ANU Tax Clinic

BEN RAINES AND SONALI WALPOLA

Abstract
The ANU Tax Clinic was launched in August 2019 with the objective of delivering a social benefit to the community and providing a novel work-integrated learning opportunity for ANU Accounting students. The clinic provides information and guidance on income tax to lower- income individuals through one-on-one consultations and also provides free tax education seminars. In 2019, client consultations were conducted at the premises of community partner organizations at four locations in Canberra. This article describes the purpose and design of the ANU Tax Clinic, and provides an account of the 2019 experience, including how it has informed 2020 operations.

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