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Corporate Tax (LAWS90005)

Graduate courseworkPoints: 12.5Not available in 2022

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Overview

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Corporate Tax is a specialist subject which will give students in-depth knowledge of the Australian tax regimes relevant to transactions between corporate tax entities and their shareholders. In particular, the rules applicable to contributions of capital or debt to companies and to distributions from companies to their shareholders will be examined.

The subject is taught in seminar format through the use of case studies which heavily emphasise real-world scenarios and provide students with insight into the corporate tax advisory issues encountered in practice.

In addition to enabling students to master highly technical content and become specialists in a particular area of law, the subject is largely statute based and will enable students to significantly enhance their skills in statutory interpretation and application.

Intended learning outcomes

On completion of this subject, students will:



  • Have an advanced understanding of corporate distributions of profit and capital to shareholders;
  • Be able to apply in an integrated manner the different statutory rules relevant to distributions of profit and capital to shareholders;
  • Be able to critically assess the practical advantages and disadvantages of profit and capital distributions from the perspective of both companies and shareholders;
  • Be able to understand and apply the taxation regime relevant to distributions by private companies;
  • Be able to understand and apply the debt-equity rules to complex, real-world scenarios;
  • Have an in-depth understanding of the imputation system in Australia and the various complex anti-avoidance rules related to the imputation system;
  • Have sophisticated insight into the implications of Australian corporate tax rules in a globalised world particularly in relation to the digital economy and growing concerns regarding base erosion and profit shifting (BEPS);
  • Have an advanced ability to undertake statutory interpretation and case analysis through the experience of construing the complex provisions of the various income tax acts and reviewing the cases in which those provisions have been applied; and
  • Through the assignment and examination, demonstrate a clear ability to construct and communicate in writing an expert argument based on understanding the facts, identifying issues, analysing the applicable law and applying the law to the facts in a way akin to the process undertaken by taxation lawyers in practice.

Generic skills

On completion of the subject students should have developed and demonstrated expert skills in the following areas:

  • Mastery of a complex and ever-changing legal regime;
  • The ability to quickly and critically analyse the tax aspects of a commercial problem, and the technical and creative skills to initiate and apply a solution;
  • The ability to carry out strategic, commercial and ethical tax planning;
  • The ability to work collaboratively with colleagues to produce professional advice; and
  • The ability to write advice that communicates and justifies a response to a complex issue to both specialist and non-specialist audiences.

Last updated: 10 July 2024