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Unit of study_
LAWS6214: Goods and Services Tax Principles A
2025 unit information
This unit introduces the key concepts that underpin the Australian GST, the policies underlying the tax, and the way those policies are (or are not) reflected in the design of the GST law. The aim is to give participants a working knowledge of the operation of the GST law and an awareness of the practical problems encountered in practice, informed by an understanding of the way in which the law is intended to operate. The unit will commence with an examination of the basic design features of value added taxes in general and of Australia's GST in particular. It will then examine the core elements of the GST law, including: the taxpayer (entities, enterprise, and the obligation to register for GST), the liability for tax on supplies made for consideration; the value of taxable supplies and the amount of GST payable on supplies; the entitlement to input tax credits and the range of subsequent adjustments that may be required; attributing GST and input tax credits to tax periods; adjustments for adjustment events; basic principles of GST-free and input taxed supplies (including an introduction to the treatment of real property transactions and of financial supplies); and basic cross-border issues, including the treatment of imports and exports. Refer to the Sydney Law School timetable https://canvas.sydney.edu.au/courses/4533/pages/postgraduate-lecture-timetable
Unit details and rules
Managing faculty or University school:
Sydney Law School
| Study level | Postgraduate |
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| Academic unit | Law |
| Credit points | 6 |
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Prerequisites:
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None |
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Corequisites:
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None |
| Prohibitions:
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None |
| Assumed knowledge:
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This is an advanced taxation law unit, which presumes a working knowledge of the Australian legal system and a solid grounding in the principles and practice of statutory interpretation and case law analysis. Students without a legal background should undertake LAWS6252 Legal Reasoning and the Common Law System before enrolling in this unit. Students in this unit are also presumed to have a basic understanding of Australian income tax law, gained either from undergraduate study or through five years working with taxation law in a law or accounting practice, in an industry role, or in the Australian Taxation Office. Students who do not have such knowledge or work experience should undertake LAWS6825 Fundamentals of Australian Taxation before enrolling in this unit |
At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:
- LO1. Demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of the basic design policies and principles of the Australian goods and services tax (GST) and of the way those policies and principles inform the design of the law.
- LO2. Critically evaluate the GST law, ATO rulings, case law, and reform proposals by reference to their intended operation and the underlying policy of the law.
- LO3. Display a good working knowledge of the operation of the GST law in practice and a sound knowledge of the key concepts relevant to the imposition of, and exemptions from, GST.
- LO4. Display a basic understanding of the principles underlying the treatment of real property and financial supplies and the way those principles are given effect in the law.
- LO5. Demonstrate an understanding the of the jurisdictional reach of the Australian GST; identify the rules that ensure that GST is applied only to final private consumption in Australia; and understand and apply internationally agreed principles to determine how the law should apply to particular transactions.
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.
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There are no availabilities for this year.
| Session | MoA ? | Location | Outline ? |
|---|---|---|---|
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Semester 1a 2025
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Block mode | Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney |
Outline unavailable
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Modes of attendance (MoA)
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