Goods and Services Tax: Design and Structure - ATAX0322

 
Faculty: Australian School of Business
 
 
School:  Australian School of Taxation and Business Law
 
 
Course Outline: See below
 
 
Campus: ATAX Campus
 
 
Career: Postgraduate
 
 
Units of Credit: 6
 
 
EFTSL: 0.12500 (more info)
 
 
Indicative Contact Hours per Week: 0
 
 
Enrolment Requirements:
 
 
Restricted to students enrolled in Programs 5540, 5245 or 7545
 
 
Excluded: ATAX0422, ATAX0522, ATAX0622
 
 
CSS Contribution Charge:Band 3 (more info)
 
 
Tuition Fee:See Tuition Fee Schedule
 
 
Further Information: See Class Timetable
 
 

Description


This course explores the economic and policy issues which underlie and drive GST. It tests these policy issues against critical selected aspects of Australia's and other GST legislative frameworks. The course analyses administration and compliance costs and the importance of planning, by government and business, for the successful operation of a GST. Importantly, it also explores conceptual issues arising in the transition from a tax like a wholesale sales tax to a GST. The focus of the course is a full overview of all aspects of the theoretical concepts that underlie a GST. The objective of this course is to provide sound conceptual and analytical knowledge of GST, which will be valuable for tax practitioners and essential for those involved in administration and development of the GST.


Recommended Prior Knowledge


None

Course Objectives


The objective of this course is to give a sound theoretical and practical understanding of the case for and operation of a GST. This course is generic in approach and does not seek to elaborate on the GST in any single country. Rather, the course is designed to provide an understanding of the theoretical issues associated with the case for a GST, the problems involved in implementing and administering a GST, along with the politics and economics of moving to such a tax.

More specifically, this course provides an insight into:
  • Why over 100 countries now have introduced a GST
  • The conceptual and theoretical superiority of a GST
  • The typical treatment of different goods and services under a GST
  • The practical problems associated with the transition towards the implementation of a GST, both for the taxpayer and tax administrator
  • The different ways in which a GST can be administered in practice
  • The broad economic and social impact of a GST

Main Topics


  • A survey of consumption taxes
  • Theory of GST
  • GST rates and base
  • GST rules
  • GST administration and compliance
  • Transitional issues
  • Economic and distributional issues

Assessment


2 Assignments
1 Exam

Course Texts


Prescribed
Information regarding the Atax Textbook Lists for Semester 1 will be available on the UNSW Bookshop website from 1 February.

Information regarding the Atax Textbook Lists for Semester 2 will be available on the UNSW Bookshop website from 1 July.

Recommended
Refer to Course Profile supplied by Lecturer.