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Unit of study_

LAWS3412: Australian Income Tax

2025 unit information

This unit introduces the Australian income tax system by exploring the operation of the tax statutes (and cases interpreting them), the underlying principles that those laws seek to implement, and fundamental issues in tax policy. The topics covered include the concept and categories of income; the calculation and treatment of capital gains; the taxation of remuneration including fringe benefits; business income; deductions; the basics of trading stock accounting and depreciation; an introduction to the taxation of partnerships, trusts and companies; the tax assessment process; the Goods and Services Tax; legislative responses to tax avoidance; and the ethical responsibilities of tax advisers. This unit is a prerequisite for Advanced Taxation Law.

Unit details and rules

Managing faculty or University school:

Sydney Law School

Study level Undergraduate
Academic unit Law
Credit points 6
Prerequisites:
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None
Corequisites:
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None
Prohibitions:
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LAWS5112
Assumed knowledge:
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None

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

  • LO1. explain the major themes in the history and motivating policy of taxation law
  • LO2. explain key features of the organising structure of taxation law (including income tax, fringe benefits tax and Goods and Services Tax) and its administration at the Commonwealth level
  • LO3. apply and further develop problem solving skills by learning how to identify tax issues (in relation to income tax, FBT and GST) in a variety of commercial and private relationships
  • LO4. identify and apply statutory tax rules and case law (in relation to income tax, FBT and GST) to factual situations involving a variety of commercial and private relationships
  • LO5. clearly and accurately communicate analysis of the tax consequences (in relation to income tax, FBT and GST) arising from a variety of commercial and private relationships
  • LO6. demonstrate competence in the exercise of professional and social responsibility in the tax context by explaining a tax lawyers’ professional and ethical responsibilities to their clients, the courts and the public in the specific context of the Tax Agents Services Act 2009 (Cth) and more broadly in relation to tax matters.

Unit availability

This section lists the session, attendance modes and locations the unit is available in. There is a unit outline for each of the unit availabilities, which gives you information about the unit including assessment details and a schedule of weekly activities.

The outline is published 2 weeks before the first day of teaching. You can look at previous outlines for a guide to the details of a unit.

Session MoA ?  Location Outline ? 
Semester 1 2024
Normal day Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney
Session MoA ?  Location Outline ? 
Semester 1 2025
Normal day Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney
Outline unavailable
Session MoA ?  Location Outline ? 
Semester 1 2020
Normal day Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney
Semester 1 2021
Normal day Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney
Semester 1 2021
Normal day Remote
Semester 1 2022
Normal day Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney
Semester 1 2022
Normal day Remote
Intensive December 2022
Block mode Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney
Semester 1 2023
Normal day Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

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Modes of attendance (MoA)

This refers to the Mode of attendance (MoA) for the unit as it appears when you’re selecting your units in Sydney Student. Find more information about modes of attendance on our website.