Graeme Colley is currently the Head of Technical and Professional Standards at the SMSF Association. His experience in superannuation spans over 35 years where has been involved as a regulator with the ATO and Insurance and Superannuation Commission as well as experience with a number of leading organisations. In his current role Graeme assists in formulating policy for self managed funds for the SMSF Association, technical advice for members as well as overseeing the development and maintenance of professional standards. He is also an author of a number of publications as well as an adjunct lecturer with the UNSW and UWS.
How long have you been affiliated with The Tax Institute?
My links with the Tax Institute probably go back as far as my days as a student when the journals proved an invaluable source in helping with my understanding of the income tax law. However, over recent years the Tax Institute has kindly invited me to talk at various discussion groups and conferences in Sydney.
What does the NSW Tax Forum mean to you, and more broadly, to the tax industry?
The NSW Tax Forum is an important event in the tax learning calendar to help in updating your knowledge, exploring new areas of the law and meeting practitioners in the field.
What is the topic that you are presenting?
I am presenting on limited recourse borrowing arrangements and developments in that area, particularly in view of the recommendations of the Murray Report and proposed legislation on the look through provisions. Limited recourse borrowing arrangements have receive significant publicity over the past few years and constitute a very small component of the superannuation industry. However, with new players and the number of mistakes that are made it’s worthwhile to keep abreast of what is going on.
What can attendees expect to learn from your session?
What attendees can take away from this session depends on their level of understanding and involvement in limited recourse borrowing arrangements. For those new to the topic hopefully they will be challenged and for those will sound experience I would hope that the session would add to their understanding or provide a difference angle on aspects of limited recourse borrowing arrangements.
What new or hot topics will you cover?
The hot topics will cover the changes in the ATO’s attitude to these arrangements, the impact on proposed laws and the issues surrounding non-commercial arrangements.
How will attending your session help delegates help their clients?
I see this session as getting practitioners to think objectively as to whether these types of arrangements are truly in their interest.
Which other sessions at the conference are you most interested in attending?
There are many excellent sessions that I could attend. I think Lisa Oddo’s session on super and estate planning, Andrew Noonan’s session on issues with trusts, the concepts of income with Mark Robinson and the session on cutting edge financial planning are probably the most relevant out of an excellent bunch.
What do you like to do when you’re not knee-deep in tax?
I like cross country running and enjoying some of the great friendships that I have.
Join us in Sydney for The Tax Institute's NSW 8th Annual Tax Forum . With an expert team of leading tax professionals shaping the content and a growing list of delegates who are amongst the best and brightest in the tax profession, the National Convention is undoubtedly the premier taxation conference in Australia.
