Tax Partner Jerome Tse, CTA will be facilitating the in-house corporate panel at The Tax Summit 2020. He reveals which sessions he is looking forward to and why the event is crucial for tax practitioners.
Jerome is a tax partner at King & Wood Mallesons specialising in taxation disputes, litigation and transfer pricing. He is also a member of The Tax Institute’s National Council.
We caught up with him and asked him if he’s looking forward to The Tax Summit 2020.
“Of course, I'm excited!” he says.
“First, I am excited to be able to facilitate our heads of tax panel session.
“We're really grateful that these prominent tax professionals are able to share an hour of their time to provide their insights as in-house tax leaders in Australia.”
Session 17.2: Insights from Australia’s in-house tax leaders will feature Emma Crawse, Brookfield Asset Management; Pete Rhodes, ATI, Aristocrat; Steve Southon, NAB; and Megan Williams, CTA, Lion.
Panellists will share their perspectives "from the inside" on the current tax issues, challenges and opportunities facing corporate Australia.
“Coming from the in-house sector they've got very different view,” says Jerome, who hails from private practice.
“The panellists bring very different experiences to private practitioners on how justified trust is affecting them and their organisations, and how they're dealing with the top 100 or 1000 program, including things as simple as how to internally resource these programs, and how and whether automation might help in the future.
“A lot of the time, the tax functions in large organisations punch above their weight especially given their size, and they face challenges in ensuring that they continue to comply with their tax obligations,” he explains.
What Jerome is looking forward to
Jerome is keen for a few sessions at The Tax Summit, as well as the networking events.
“The Justice Hill Lecture will be fantastic,” he says.
“We've got a star speaker being the Honourable Justice Simon Steward, QC, Federal Court of Australia who is always informative. We’re very lucky to have him speak at the Tax Summit.”
This lecture will traverse the judicial work of Justice Richard Edmonds and his Honour’s vital contribution to the jurisprudence concerning the anti-avoidance provisions of the Tax Acts.
“The session on privilege and accountants concession is topical given the number of privilege issues in the market,” continues Jerome.
“And we've got some of the best and most knowledgeable people in that area to speak, including Fiona Knight from the ATO and Frank O'Loughlin at the Victorian Bar.”
Session 10.3: Legal professional privilege and accountant’s concession features Fiona Knight, CTA, Australian Taxation Office; Colin Little, Deloitte; Frank O'Loughlin QC, CTA, Victorian Bar
This session will assess:
- ATO and taxpayer perspectives on LPP and the accountant's concession;
- The impact of the ATO challenging LPP in audits, risk reviews and in the courts;
- How taxpayers should approach LPP in tax disputes; and
- How LPP in large tax disputes will evolve following Glencore.
“The session, Around the courts in 60 minutes, will be entertaining,” he says.
“Chris Peadon is always an entertaining presenter with unique insights coming from the NSW Bar.”
Session 12.3: Around the courts in 60 minutes – key tax decisions will highlight the significant federal tax case law which has been determined by the High Court, Supreme Court, Administrative Appeals Tribunal and Federal Court in Australia in 2019.
Why you should attend The Tax Summit 2020
Jerome says there are always practical learnings you can apply when going to The Tax Institute’s CPD events.
“You will always learn something,” he says.
“Tax is in a field where no one person can know everything and from every session I go to, I learn at least one thing, if not more.
“When I started getting involved in The Tax Institute, one of the main benefits I saw as a junior was to be able to approach senior practitioners, including from the ATO and Treasury, over drinks or in between sessions, and I found that networking to be invaluable for my career.”
If you’re in-house
Jerome says there definitely is a benefit for an in-house team member coming to The Tax Summit, especially.
“It is our biggest event, we've got so many streams that there will be something for everyone,” he says.
“Employer tickets are a perfect way to spread the sessions across different staff members, who may have different interests.
“It’s definitely is worth considering - you don't need to buy 10 full tickets for 10 people.”
If you’re starting out in tax
Jerome says The Tax Summit will have a tailored stream catering specifically for Australia’s Emerging Tax Leaders.
“Those sessions are a combination of technical and non-technical content and they are pitched specifically for those starting in tax,” he explains.
“From a legal sector perspective, tax laws are getting harder and more complex.
“The ability to keep up with tax laws and the continuing changes in tax laws means that programs like these are important to make sure that you cover off on what is new, what has changed.
“And in the event that you do go to a session that you know about well, it's a really good way to reinforce your knowledge.”
Jerome says it’s equally important to attend a session that may not be in your area of expertise.
“When you're faced with a client who has a problem, they don't compartmentalise their problem into your area of expertise and someone else's; you need to be able to spot an issue outside of your area of expertise so that you can help solve their overall commercial problem,” he advises.
“This may be through a referral to someone else in your firm, or to others in the profession, to make sure that the client get the right outcome.
“This is why it is so important to come to The Tax Summit 2020.”
The Tax Institute is combining two flagship events (National Convention and The NSW Tax Forum) into what will become the most significant tax program for tax and accounting professionals in the region.
This event is one members and non-members alike won’t want to miss. This is ground zero for our profession; the central point from which everything else revolves around.
There will be more than 60 sessions delivered by local and global tax experts, across SME, Corporate and Hot Topic streams. The Tax Summit also includes keynote sessions and four new streams: Professional Practice, Emerging Leaders, International and Technology.
Not to mention National Convention’s hugely popular networking events, the Welcome Reception, and Gala Dinner featuring The Tax Adviser of the Year Awards.
