Tax Office and QUT Form Research Partnership

The Australian Tax Office has entered into a five-year research partnership agreement with Queensland University of Technology’s Centre of Philanthropy and Nonprofit Studies.

The arrangement will involve joint research, industry-based courses, the organisation of seminars and conferences, staff training and postgraduate projects.

By the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding with QUT, the Tax Office says it is showing its serious commitment to the obligations it has to the Not for Profit sector.

The ATO says activities undertaken and information obtained during the term of the agreement will help to improve its ability to understand the needs of Not for Profit organisations and to provide a more user-friendly and lower cost service to the sector.

Earlier this year the Commissioner of Taxation announced a Listening to the Community initiative.

The ATO says the initiative aims to improve its approach to tax administration, making it easier, cheaper and more personalised to its clients.

It says the arrangement with QUT will assist by:

 devoting resources to discovering client’s needs, intents and desires
 inventing ideas and prototypes that help meet clients needs better, and
 evaluating these ideas and prototypes so that they can be designed in a way that best meets all stakeholder needs.

Professor Myles McGregor-Lowndes from QUT says his team is eager to advance research with the ATO about the problems and issues of Not for Profit taxation compliance and seek appropriate solutions.

He says over the next few months, QUT and the ATO will be discussing research projects and consulting with practitioners in the area.