With the announcement last week that Mr Chris Jordan AO will be the next Commissioner of Taxation, one of the big questions in tax administration in this country has been answered. From 1 January next year the ATO will have its first private sector Commissioner at the helm in a hundred years.

The Tax Institute has welcomed the appointment of Chris Jordan as the new Commissioner.

We see it as a fresh injection of private sector experience at the helm of the ATO. Given that the ATO is one of the largest and most significant Australian Government agencies, it is important that it continues to strengthen existing ties with the private sector.

Chris' many years of service on the Board of Taxation, most recently as its Chairman, are evidence of his ability to bring significant private sector expertise to bear on tax policy and administration.

With the Government's promised (but not yet delivered) Tax System Advisory Board set to oversight the ATO on its management functions, the new Commissioner will import significant private sector management learnings into the ATO's operations and governance.

The Tax Institute looks forward to continuing our long-standing and productive relationship with Chris in his new role as the Commissioner.

Ultimately, the best decisions are made with the most accurate information to hand and Tax Institute members are best placed to play a significant role in ensuring this occurs.

Robert Jeremenko

Robert Jeremenko CTA is Senior Tax Counsel of The Tax Institute.

The Tax Institute is Australia’s leading professional association in tax. Its 13,000 members include tax agents, accountants and lawyers as well as tax practitioners in corporations, government and academia.