UNSW Handbook Course - Tax Policy Framework

Tax Policy Framework - ATAX0014


	Faculty: Faculty of Law
	School: Australian School of Taxation
	Course Outline: See below
	Campus: ATAX Campus
	Career: Undergraduate
	Units of Credit: 6
	EFTSL: 0.125 (more info)
	Contact Hours per Week: 0
	Enrolment Requirements:
	Prerequisite: ATAX0003
	Fee Band: 1 (more info)
	Further Information: See Class Timetable

Description

This course is an introduction to tax policy making in Australia. The emphasis is on economic models. It covers relevant aspects of public finance and welfare economics. It examines choices between the public and private provision of goods, issues of fiscal federalism, constitutional constraints on the division of taxing powers and an evaluation of modes of decision making. A critical understanding of major issues is injected. This covers the justification for the public sector, the financing of the public sector, mainly by taxation, the consequences for the economy at the micro and macro levels arising from taxation and some specific tax reform issues.

Course Objectives

This course is the last in a coherent academic program of economics subjects in the Bachelor of Taxation. Whereas the first two subjects, Microeconomics and Macroeconomics, follow more traditional lines this subject will lead students into a critical analysis of tax policy as a fundamental driving force in economies in general and in Australia specifically. It reviews and analyses the impact of the multitudes of taxes existent in Australia and challenges students to come to grips with the enormous and little understood economic complexities inherent in a multi-tiered taxation system. A system which is rapidly becoming more confused with the introduction of new taxes under the guise of user pays for government trading monopolies. Specifically students will have gained an understanding of the following areas with appropriate analytical skills:

policy formulation and implementation
relevant economic concepts for tax analysis
main heads of Commonwealth constitutional power relevant to taxation and their judicial interpretation, and
reasons for division of responsibilities between levels of government.

For information on course modules and learning outcomes click here.

Modes of Delivery

Flexible Learning

Assessment

Assignment 1	2000 words	20%
Assignment 2	2000 words	20%
Final Examination	Open book	60%

Pass Requirements

50 per cent or more of the total marks available in the course and
at least 40 per cent of the marks available for the final examination in the course.

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