Subject description

In Tax, candidates are introduced to the core knowledge and skills of tax required to provide advice and services for a range of transactions and events appropriate to the jurisdiction. Chartered Accountants need to be aware of and be able to respond to tax impacts on a range of transactions and events and to identify when they should seek advice from tax specialists on more complex issues. This subject focuses on areas of technical competence including tax administration and controls, income tax, tax of structures and transactions, and other taxes and interactions. It also explores the skills and knowledge required to evaluate and explain the broad impact of changes across a range of areas that may impact tax practice. In a range of learning activities and assessments, candidates develop and apply these technical skills and professionally communicate tax specific information to a range of stakeholders. Candidates who wish to pursue a specialisation in tax will have the opportunity to further develop their knowledge and skills in the Advanced Tax elective subject, for which this subject is a prerequisite. 

Topics covered

• Tax administration and controls 
• Income tax - General rules 
• Income tax - Taxation of structures and transactions 
• Other taxes and interactions 

Subject learning outcomes

On completion of this subject, you will be able to:

1. Apply technical knowledge to a range of transactions and events to determine the tax consequences
2. Advise on the taxation consequences of a range of transactions and events
3. Apply an ethical and socially responsible approach to determining taxation consequences
4. Evaluate future changes that impact the taxation environment

Course structure and format

This 9-week course is one of seven core subjects of the Chartered Accountants Program. 

Enjoy supported learning via an online learning platform and interactive resources, including:

• Online communities where you can network with other candidates
• Technical discussion forums where your questions will be answered by specialist Chartered Accountants
• Peer discussion forums
• Access to resources including a study guide, exam preparation series and materials
• Real-world examples and activities
• Virtual sessions and recordings which take you through real-world worked examples and activities based on integrated, complex scenarios

Australian and New Zealand differences 

• We offer two separate subjects for Australian and New Zealand tax.
• You can choose to enrol in either, irrespective of where you live. Candidates generally enrol in the tax subject most relevant to the location where they work.
• Both subjects meet the regulatory requirements for the Graduate Diploma of Chartered Accounting.
• There are no additional requirements for bridging subjects if you already have an accredited degree from the neighbouring country.
• You are responsible for ensuring you have the necessary assumed knowledge relevant to the tax subject selected.

Warning: The information on this page / in this outline is indicative. The subject outline provided to enrolled candidates for the particular term through CA ANZ’s My Capability learning portal is the authoritative source of all information about the subject for that offering. Required texts, recommended texts, references and some assessment task details in particular are likely to change. Candidates will be provided access to the authoritative subject outline through the My Capability learning portal once they enrol in the subject.