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Tax Practice: Writing Effectively (LAWS70318)
Graduate coursework level 7Points: 12.5Not available in 2018
Overview
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Tax advocacy today, like other advocacy in Australia and overseas, is largely conducted in writing. To succeed in advising or advocating for clients, whether private or government, tax professionals need outstanding written advocacy skills. This subject will enable tax professionals to develop an effective and persuasive writing style in tax advocacy. This subject will focus on the skill of writing key tax documents and developing precedents for future use, including letters of advice and opinions, objections, tribunal and court documents and written submissions, including appeal documents, ruling requests and briefing expert witnesses.
Principal topics include:
- Effective legal writing: writing techniques directed to persuade in a clear and effective way
- Writing letters of advice and opinions: section 264 information requests
- Objections
- Tribunal and court proceedings
- Appeal documents
- Applications for special leave to appeal
- Written submissions; eg to the GAAR panel, court proceedings and position papers
- Ruling requests
- Briefing the expert witness.
Intended learning outcomes
A student who has successfully completed this subject will:
- Have an advanced and integrated understanding of the skill of writing effective and persuasive tax documents
- Be able to critically examine and analyse the requirements of the key documents that need to be prepared in practice
- Be an engaged participant in debate regarding emerging and contemporary issues in relation to taxation and the requirement to write effectively
- Have a sophisticated appreciation of the applicable legal requirements for particular written communications while being persuasive, effective and readable
- Have a detailed understanding of the significance of written communication in the practice of taxation
- Have the cognitive and technical skills to generate critical and creative ideas relating to development of writing skills in the field of taxation
- Have the cognitive and technical skills to independently examine, research and analyse the key elements and features of effective written communication
- Have the communication skills to clearly articulate and convey complex information regarding writing effectively to relevant specialist and non-specialist audiences.
Last updated: 3 November 2022
Eligibility and requirements
Prerequisites
Melbourne Law Masters Students: Students should have studied tax at graduate or undergraduate level and have gained some practical experience in tax.
JD Students: Successful completion of the below subject:
| Code | Name | Teaching period | Credit Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| LAWS50046 | Taxation Law and Policy |
Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville)
Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville)
|
12.5 |
Corequisites
None
Non-allowed subjects
None
Recommended background knowledge
Applicants without legal qualifications should note that subjects are offered in the discipline of law at an advanced graduate level. While every effort will be made to meet the needs of students trained in other fields, concessions will not be made in the general level of instruction or assessment. Most subjects assume the knowledge usually acquired in a degree in law (LLB, JD or equivalent). Applicants should note that admission to some subjects in the Melbourne Law Masters will be dependent upon the individual applicant’s educational background and professional experience.
Inherent requirements (core participation requirements)
The University of Melbourne is committed to providing students with reasonable adjustments to assessment and participation under the Disability Standards for Education (2005), and the Assessment and Results Policy (MPF1326). Students are expected to meet the core participation requirements for their course. These can be viewed under Entry and Participation Requirements for the course outlines in the Handbook.
Further details on how to seek academic adjustments can be found on the Student Equity and Disability Support website: http://services.unimelb.edu.au/student-equity/home
Last updated: 3 November 2022
Assessment
Additional details
- Class participation (20%)
- Seminar presentation with drafting exercise (1,500 words) (30%) During each of lectures 2-9, a student (or students) will be selected to undertake a drafting exercise, and in class to talk to it. Each student will attend to this exercise once.
- Mooting exercise, including written advocacy (5,000 words) (50%) The oral mooting competition occurs in the final two lectures, lectures 11 and 12. The written advocacy is submitted approximately one week in advance of that.
A minimum of 75% attendance is a hurdle requirement.
Last updated: 3 November 2022
Dates & times
Not available in 2018
Time commitment details
136-150 hours
Additional delivery details
This subject has a quota of 30 students. Please refer to the Melbourne Law Masters website for further information about the management of subject quotas and waitlists.
Last updated: 3 November 2022
Further information
- Texts
Prescribed texts
Specialist printed materials will be made available free of charge from the Melbourne Law School prior to the pre-teaching period.
- Related Handbook entries
This subject contributes to the following:
Type Name Course Graduate Diploma in Legal Studies Course Graduate Diploma in Tax Course Juris Doctor Course Master of Commercial Law Course Master of Laws Course Master of Tax - Links to additional information
law.unimelb.edu.au
- Available through the Community Access Program
About the Community Access Program (CAP)
This subject is available through the Community Access Program (also called Single Subject Studies) which allows you to enrol in single subjects offered by the University of Melbourne, without the commitment required to complete a whole degree.
Entry requirements including prerequisites may apply. Please refer to the CAP applications page for further information.
Additional information for this subject
If required, please contact law-admissions@unimelb.edu.au for subject coordinator approval.
- Available to Study Abroad and/or Study Exchange Students
This subject is available to students studying at the University from eligible overseas institutions on exchange and study abroad. Students are required to satisfy any listed requirements, such as pre- and co-requisites, for enrolment in the subject.
Last updated: 3 November 2022