The Commissioner’s Update is a series of information sessions presented around the State, on a range of topical subjects from the Commissioner and other senior staff of the State Revenue Office.

These sessions have previously been run as Breakfast Seminars, but now may be held in the morning or late afternoon. Those attending will be able to have their questions answered by the experts.

For those unable to attend, the presentations and the Questions and Answers are made available from this webpage shortly after each tour.

The 2009 Commissioner's Update Information Session
Information sessions are to be run in Hobart , Devonport and Launceston during the last week of May 2009.
Presentations will include:

• Miscellaneous Amendments Act
• Valuations
• Identifying high risk compliance areas
• Protecting the taxpayer
• Restrcuturing the SRO website

• Ruling Review and Administrative Reform programme – Wendy Sawford, Commissioner
  • Ruling Review and Administrative Reform programme presentation (pdf)
  
  Taxpayer Charter – Chrissie Berryman, Deputy Commissioner
  • Taxpayer Charter presentation (pdf)
  • The Taxpayer Charter document (pdf)

• Abolition of Duty on Non-real Business Assets – Alex Jacobs, Principal Taxation Adviser
  • Abolition of Duty on Non-real Business Assets presentation (pdf)

• 2007-08 Audit Results and the 2008-09 Audit program (pdf) – Ross Smith, Acting Director Revenue Advice and Audit
  • 2007-08 Audit Results and the 2008-09 Audit Program presentation (pdf)
  • 2007-08 Audit Results document (pdf)
  • 2008-09 Audit Program document (pdf)

• Education Plan
  • View the 2008-09 Annual Education Plan

• Are goods dutiable where there is another transaction in which -
  • A and B are partners
  • A third party is admitted as a partner
  • Goodwill is transferred along with plant and equipment (P&E) to the new partner
  • The existing lease is terminated on 30 June 2008
  • A new lease is entered into on 1 July 2008?
• Does it matter if the lease is negotiated verbally?
• Are there are any duty implications if a Tasmanian organisation merges with a mainland charitable organisation?
• Is it correct to say that charitable organisations don't pay duty?

• You have taken duty off leases, but now charge duty on plant and equipment transferred as part of a sale of business.
• How is a premium on a lease treated for duty purposes?
• Fixtures to land are dutiable. What is the impact of the 'fitout' for duty purposes?
• How 'real' is the abolition of duty?

• How do we assess site valuation as practitioners? Do guidelines exist as to the SRO's approach to ascertaining the amounts of site goodwill?
• Isn't the competency of the person running the business the key issue?
• To what extent can parties make this call themselves?
• Surely if a business operator is incompetent then custom will not be attracted?
• Does the amount of rental paid on a property reflect the site goodwill?
• If a landowner sells property subject to a long term lease, will the property have site goodwill?
• The public perception is that duty is no longer chargeable on the transfer of goodwill but this is not what has happened.
• Does the SRO have internal processes in place to deal with site goodwill issues?
• Is there any threshold with respect to the value of the transaction?
• Can you describe the type(s) of information required to determine site goodwill?
• How much revenue is generated by site goodwill?
• Will there be an obligation on the purchaser to identify site goodwill? How do we avoid having to obtain a valuation on every occasion?
• Will the Commissioner require evidence of valuation before assessment of goodwill?
• In reality, getting a valuer to give advice quickly is an issue.
• What is a 'professional valuer' or a 'Competent valuer'?
• Is the SRO managing transition?
• Where land and business are sold together, will the land price cover site goodwill?
• Will site goodwill apply to large shopping centre premises?
• Will the same argument apply to a caravan park?
• How do you separate site and name goodwill? For example, in a hairdressing salon custom will return irrespective of the site.
• Murrys were a taxi business with a taxi licence. Is it correct that the sale of an asset separate from the business does not constitute a disposition of goodwill, and is therefore not a dutiable transaction?
• Will the SRO look at intoducing more stringent requirements for larger value transactions?
• What communications have been released in relation to site goodwill?
• Do you need to assign a site goodwill component (ie site goodwill is dependent on the property) if you purchased a property such as Knopwoods?
• What are the duty implications where a Heads of Agreement is executed before 30 June 2008 and the contract is not executed until after 1 July 2008?
• How will partnership interests be dealt with?
• Will the transfer or assignment of a lease as part of the acquisition of a business have an adverse effect for duty purposes?
• Will the SRO be expecting to deal with partnerships in the same manner post abolition?
• Will Sale of Business transactions be subject to mandatory self assessment?
• How long will it take to get a response back to a client?

• When can we expect information on conformity?
• Has any consideration been given to treating trusts the same as corporations in conformity provisions?
• The SRO's current position on the treatment of companies and trusts is inconsistent.
• How hard is it to put such a change through as an exemption?
• What evidence is there as to the possibility of avoiding duty on trusts and conformity?