LAWS6214 - Goods & Services Taxation Principles

Objectives

• Understand the basic design, operation, compliance, administration, and working principles of the Australian goods and services tax (GST).
• Examine the main foundational principles of Australia’s GST and its operation in practice.
• Acquire an understanding of the policies underlying GST, a detailed knowledge of the technical workings of the basic Australian GST rules and procedures and an awareness of current practical problems involved in GST.

Content

Introduction to GST – basic design features and underlying policies of GST; status of the taxable person, concepts of enterprise, and the obligation to register for GST; liability for tax on supplies – types of supply & limits on the concept of supply; consideration, including non-monetary consideration, nexus, & value; entitlement to input tax credits; liability for tax on importations; tax invoices, attribution to tax periods, adjustment events & adjustments for change of use; basic principles of GST-free and input taxed supplies; introduction to international issues in GST, including the treatment of cross-border transactions and importations; introduction to real property transactions; introduction to the treatment of financial supplies; compliance & administration,including anti-avoidance.

Session

Semester 1 2010
Monday Evenings, 6-8pm

Please note: It is not possible to cover all aspects of GST in one unit. Candidates seeking a complete picture of Australia’s GST should also undertake LAWS 6828 - Advanced Goods & Services Tax.

The timetable is subject to frequent changes. Please refer to the latest version of the Postgraduate Timetable.

Assessment

• Classwork (30%)
• 1 x Exam or Research Essay (70%)

Assumed Knowledge

It is recommended that candidates who are not working in the tax area and have not taken an undergraduate tax unit in Australia in the past five years undertake LAWS 6814 - Comparative Value Added Tax before enrolling in this unit. If in doubt, please consult the Taxation Program Coordinator.

Courses this unit is available in

Master of Laws | Graduate Diploma in Law | Master of Global Law | Master of Business Law | Master of International Taxation | Master of Taxation | Graduate Diploma in Taxation