Principle 1
1.3 Advisory Services : UNSW Tax Clinic
As reported in our
2019 SIP report ( section 3.2.3 ), the UNSW Business School
Tax Clinic was launched in mid-2019 . Under the directorship of its founder , Associate Professor
Ann Kayis-Kumar ( School of Accounting , Auditing & Taxation ), the Clinic has proven to be an impactful initiative that provides access to free , independent and confidential tax advice for individuals and small business owners in severe financial distress , and invaluable student development opportunities .
The Students
As a teaching clinic , UNSW Tax Clinic offers year-round opportunities to both enrolled students and student volunteers . Our enrolled students are final year undergraduate / postgraduate students (
TABL3033 /
TABL5933 ) from the UNSW Business School . Our student volunteers are from the UNSW Business School , UNSW Faculty of Law & Justice , and UNSW Faculty of Arts , Design & Architecture .
The students help financially distressed clients ( under supervision of CA / CPA-qualified registered tax agents ) with their tax problems , design and deliver community rights-based education initiatives , and assist with research and advocacy to address systemic injustice within the tax-transfer system .
Since its inception , the clinic has trained around 40 enrolled and volunteer students , improving their professional and technical skills , and creating recruitment opportunities . Some examples of student feedback are provided below .
> “ The most meaningful part of my Tax Clinic experience was having the privilege of hearing the issues affecting vulnerable taxpayers , and the opportunity to have a handson role in finding a solution .”
> “ Thank you once again for the meaningful opportunity to be part of the clinic . I believe the practical experience , skills and mentorship I gained have successfully landed me a graduate role as a Tax Consultant ... I hope the clinic continues to prosper with more success stories as well as improving social justice outcomes in the community .”
> “ Being a volunteer at the clinic was a fundamental part of my career development . It gave me an opportunity to learn from practical experience by engaging with real-world clients . The skills and experience that I gained under the guidance of all those involved in this meaningful venture has helped me land a role as an Accounts Assistant ... I look forward to hearing more of the clinic ’ s success stories .”
The Clients
The Clinic supports the most financially and socially disadvantaged members of the community on a State-wide basis . Through partnerships with the community sector ( financial counsellors , crisis support , domestic violence support , pro-bono legal clinics ) it has identified and supported around 200 clients since its inception , with the following client profile ( see Figure 1 ).
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