The Virtual Summit
24–25 November 2020
Two compelling half-days that consist of keynote sessions, panel discussions and breakout streams. The Virtual Summit will be the culmination of the event and discussion series to date and will present the options, discuss their merits and define the priorities for reform.
Key / Legend
Retirement & Wealth
Business Taxation
Personal Tax and Transfer
Indirect Taxation
Day 1 Program
Tuesday, 24 November 2020 | AEDT
10:00–10:50am
S1: The Case for Reform
In setting the scene for this two-day event, this session will mount the case for reform and consider how tax reform can create the environment for long term economic success for Australia. While recognising an immediate and longer term need to stimulate the recovering economy, the discussion will call out the shortcomings of the current system and set the stage for the conversations ahead.
Speakers
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Prof Robert Breunig Tax and Transfer Policy Institute |
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Andrew Mills, CTA (Life) |
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Michelle de Niese Corporate Tax Association |
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Grant Wardell-Johnson, CTA |
11:00–11:45am
S2.1: Meeting the needs of global and transnational businesses
This session will identify the obstacles and opportunities to encourage both an outward-looking Australian corporate sector and an attractive environment for foreign capital. It will consider how current settings should be recalibrated to be consistent with leading international trends for corporate taxation and moving beyond the traditional parameters of corporate taxation.
Speakers
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Prof Richard Holden UNSW |
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Steve Southon, ATI |
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Tim Neilson, CTA (Life) White & Case |
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Amelia Teng |
11:00–11:45am
S2.2: Rethinking SME taxation
Drawing on the pathways discussed in the focus session, this session will consider how the taxation of SMEs could be redesigned to:
- Liberate the flow of capital
- Reduce compliance costs
- Reduce complexity while maintaining integrity in the system.
Speakers
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Paul Banister, CTA Grant Thornton |
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Robyn Jacobson, CTA The Tax Institute |
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Tracey Dunn RSM Australia |
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Vanessa Priest, FTI Baskin Clarke Priest |
12:00–12:45pm
S3.1: Designing optimal workforces for the future economy
The multitude of distinct taxing regimes confront all those who deal with the labour market. In an increasingly globalised economy, how can businesses optimise their workforces having regard to:
- The employee versus contractor conundrum
- FBT
- Payroll tax
- PAYG withholding
- Superannuation guarantee regime
- Employee share schemes.
Speakers
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Celeste Black University of Sydney |
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Mark Pizzacalla, CTA BDO |
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Clint Harding, CTA Arnold Bloch Leibler |
12:00–12:45pm
S3.2: Targeting concessions for small and family businesses
The pathway for small businesses to access tax concessions is overgrown and sorely needs a redesign. This session will consider the possible options to:
- Simplify the law and reduce unnecessary complexity
- Reduce compliance costs associated with determining eligibility
- Streamline the thresholds for consistency
- Support small businesses and maintain integrity in the system without unnecessary barriers.
Speakers
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Robyn Jacobson, CTA The Tax Institute |
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Andrew O’Bryan, CTA Hall & Wilcox |
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Ron Jorgensen, CTA Thomson Geer |
1:00–1:45pm
S4.1: Designing incentives to advance innovation
The tax system plays an important role in advancing innovation in Australia. This session will consider how well-designed tax incentives can encourage businesses to grow and expand, improve their productivity, and support valuable R&D as well as new technology and industries.
Speakers
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Yasser El-Ansary Australian Investment Council |
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Kimberley Simpson, CTA Cochlear Limited |
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Pete Rhodes, ATI Aristocrat |
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Scott Treatt, CTA The Tax Institute |
1:00–1:45pm
S4.2: Designing a sustainable superannuation system
This session will look at the fundamental design of the superannuation system, and consider the best reform options to our tax system to:
- Support a sustainable superannuation and retirement system
- Encourage improved compliance by employers with the mandatory superannuation guarantee regime
- Reduce unnecessary complexity and ensure greater consistency in the various superannuation caps and thresholds.
Speakers
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Graeme Colley SuperConcepts |
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Jemma Sanderson, CTA Cooper Partners |
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Julie Dolan KPMG |
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Liz Westover, FTI Deloitte |
1:45–2:00pm
S5: Day 1 summary
In this wrap-up session to close out Day 1, Scott & Robyn will reflect on the discussions and ideas raised during the day’s sessions. They will then set the stage ahead of a second day of bright ideas and robust debate on how to best reform our tax system.
Speakers
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Robyn Jacobson, CTA The Tax Institute |
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Scott Treatt, CTA |
Day 2 Program
Wednesday, 25 November 2020 | AEDT
10:00–10:50am
S6: Regulators and policy advisers panel
In this not to be missed panel session with representatives of regulators and key policy advisers, the panel will discuss the opportunities that regulators have and will pursue to make administration world leading. Starting with the improvements to date, the regulators will discuss how they can leverage the data they are accumulating to make interaction with the system painless, quick, and cheap.
Speakers
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Teresa Dyson Former Chair of Board of Taxation |
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Andrew Mills, CTA (Life) The Tax Institute |
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Jeremy Hirschhorn, CTA Second Commissioner, Australian Taxation Office |
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Paul Tilley Former Treasury official |
11:00–11:45am
S7.1: Taxing private wealth
Some controversial pathways relating to the fundamental design of the superannuation system, the taxation of private wealth and transfer of wealth following death were considered in the focus session. This session will look at how well-designed tax law can provide:
- A sustainable superannuation and retirement system
- Increased equity regarding the tax treatment of private wealth assets
- Appropriate tax outcomes following the death of a taxpayer.
Speakers
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Leanne Connor, CTA WGC Business Advisors |
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Chris Wallis, CTA Victorian Bar |
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Paul Sokolowski, CTA Arnold Bloch Leibler |
11:00–11:45am
S7.2: The interplay of state and federal indirect taxes
In a wide-ranging discussion, this session will consider:
- How the interaction of Federal and State taxes can be improved
- The case for land tax versus stamp duty as the primary State property tax
- Whether any inefficient indirect taxes can be removed by broadening the base of other more efficient taxes.
Speakers
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Anne Collins Glencore |
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Geoff Mann, CTA Ashurst |
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Nathan Deveson, CTA MinterEllison |
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Chris Sievers Victorian Bar |
12:00–12:45pm
S8.1: Streamlining the tax system for individuals
This session will draw on the ideas expressed in the focus session and further consider:
- How reforms options can improve the interaction of the personal taxation system and the transfer system and remove anomalous outcomes
- How the rules relating to work-related expenses, residency and personal exertion income can best be simplified
- Whether the marginal tax rate settings are appropriately progressive.
Speakers
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Debra Anderson, ATI Anderson Tax |
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Neil Earle, CTA (Life) DFK Benjamin King Money |
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Prof Robert Breunig Tax and Transfer Policy Institute |
12:00–12:45pm
S8.2: The 2040 vision for GST
The GST is 20 years old and there has been no real change in that time. This session will challenge whether the current settings sustainable for the next 20 years? Overtly omitted from the Henry review in 2009, changes to the GST should be considered as part of a serious tax reform discussion. This session will consider whether it is appropriate to:
- Increase the rate
- Broaden the base to ensure an increasing segment of the economy which currently escapes the GST, namely GST-free supplies, should be subject to GST
- Make any other reforms to the GST.
Speakers
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Ken Fehily, CTA Fehily Advisory |
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Kevin O’Rourke O’Rourke Consulting |
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Marg Marshall, CTA WLF Accounting & Advisory |
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Alison Marshall, CTA PwC |
1:00–1:50pm
S9: Running the Gauntlet… How to effect change?
This session will draw on the expertise from different jurisdictions and times that the panellists have experienced to outline how reform can be achieved and implemented. What are the key ingredients to making change occur and stick?
Speakers
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Dr Julianne Jaques, CTA Victorian Bar |
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Viva Hammer Brandeis University |
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Hon. Dominic Perrottet MP NSW Treasurer |
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Rt Hon Sir Bill English former Prime Minister of New Zealand |
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Hon. Andrew Leigh MP Shadow Assistant Minister for Treasury and Charities |
1:50–2:15pm
S10: Day 2 summary and Virtual Summit reflections
In this concluding plenary session for the entire event series, Andrew Mills and his fellow commentators will make some final observations about the pathways and options for reform that have emerged from the virtual event. In wrapping up, they will set out the next steps as to how the wide range of enthusiastic ideas and reform options will be packaged up as a ‘Case for Change’, to be presented to the Federal and State governments.
Speakers
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Andrew Mills, CTA (Life) The Tax Institute |
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Peter Godber, CTA President, The Tax Institute |
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Grant Wardell-Johnson, CTA KPMG |
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