THE ATO has acknowledged that its use of technology and administrative changes combined with the existing ATO portal issues have added to the frustrations and lost productivity for many small tax practitioners.

“Most tax agent practitioners are small businesses themselves working hard to service the interests of their clients,” said Institute of Public Accountants (IPA) chief executive officer, Andrew Conway.

“Tax practitioners are still very much in demand and assist some 70 per cent of individuals and 90 per cent of business taxpayers meet their tax compliance obligations.

“While the IPA supports the better use of technology, it is concerning that the ATO’s push for more digital interactions is coming at the expense of tax agent practices.

“Our members have highlighted to us on many occasions that they have suffered productivity loss, missed deadlines, and incurred irrecoverable costs as well as damage to their reputations and relationships with their clients.

“Transitioning to a digital delivery for BAS statements and the use of the Client Correspondence List on the portal are two recent examples causing frustration and which are having a detrimental impact on the relationship between tax agents and the ATO.

“The ATO portal which is an essential tool of trade for practitioners and agents has been a constant point of frustration due to the portal’s instability and unreliability.  More digital interactions are putting even more reliance on the sub-standard portal.

“The ATO has acknowledged that the portal is far from best practice and is currently working on a long term solution through the migration to a new more functional platform.  The acknowledgment and the following statement by the ATO has been welcomed:

 “Where the ATO is looking to develop technology or administrative changes, we will co design and consult with a range a tax practices to build systems that consider and accommodate the current practice management procedures. The aim will be to ensure that the changes do not add additional tasks that practitioners will need to accommodate outside of their normal processes but rather will operate within the normal processes.” 

“On the back of this, we look forward to the ATO’s commitment to co-design with better consultation to build systems that consider and accommodate current practice management procedures,” said Mr Conway.

Source: Statement was made at the 21 August meeting of the Australian Tax Practitioner Advisory Group (ATPAG), of which the IPA is a member.

ends

BUILDING Information Modelling (BIM) is a powerful model-based tool that is revolutionising the design, construction and management of infrastructure. It allows for the creation of intelligent, three-dimensional models that can be shared in the design, construction and management phases of infrastructure development.

Tomorrow, the Infrastructure and Communications Committee will meet with representatives of Autodesk—an international leader in the development of BIM, and creator of the AutoCAD design programme—to discuss the role that BIM can play in improving the quality and efficiency of infrastructure projects.

According to Autodesk, "25 per cent of infrastructure project costs are tied to change orders, requests for information (RFIs), rework, and design clashes that are not found until construction begins."

“The AEC (architecture, engineering, and construction) industry is showing progress in improving their productivity and reducing these project costs through the use of Building Information Modelling (BIM).”

Committee Chairman Jane Prentice MP (Ryan, Qld) said, “The current Inquiry into the role of Smart ICT in the design and planning of infrastructure has already uncovered a range of exciting and innovative technologies, which have the potential to make the procurement of infrastructure more efficient and long-term management more effective.”

Mrs Prentice believes that BIM is set to revolutionise the way governments and industry do business when it comes to investing in infrastructure.

“The new tools becoming available to government and industry have the power to transform the economic productivity of infrastructure development, making existing infrastructure more productive and new infrastructure more cost-effective.”

Details of the hearing are as follows:
Date: Wednesday, 9 September 2015
Time: 8:00 am–9:00 am
Venue: Committee Room 1R3, Parliament House, Canberra

8:00am Autodesk (Submission 4)
The public hearing will be webcast live at http://www.aph.gov.au/live

ends

WITH the Labor Party today failing in its latest bid to remove Dyson Heydon AC QC as head of the Royal Commission into Trade Union Corruption, the Australian Mines and Metals Association (AMMA) has reiterated the importance of the Commission completing the job of rooting out corruption and illegality from our trade unions.

The Opposition unsuccessfully raised a motion in the Senate to call on the Governor-General to remove the Royal Commissioner - with a tied vote seeing it defeated.

“This was nothing more than a misguided stunt that rightfully never gained traction in the Senate,” says AMMA executive director, policy and public affairs, Scott Barklamb.

“We congratulate those crossbench senators that saw through this latest cynical attempt to shield corrupt union officials from proper scrutiny and accountability.

“It is time for the ALP to stop standing in the way of positive steps towards eliminating the unlawfulness and corruption plaguing some Australian unions.

“The vast majority of honest union officials, doing their job and working for their members, have absolutely nothing to fear from the Royal Commission, and the ALP needs to realise unions will be stronger and more respected if bad apples and illegal practices are exposed.”

Mr Barklamb says the continuation of the Royal Commission hearings must be part of an ongoing process to stamp out union corruption, especially in the construction industry.

“Despite union attempts to derail the Royal Commission and shift the spotlight off the lawlessness within some union ranks, the damning evidence already uncovered speaks to the urgent need to reintroduce the Australian Building and Construction Commission (ABCC) as an effective industry regulator,” he says.

“The Senate should now support the restoration of the ABCC and demonstrate to unions, employers and the Australian community that no individual or group is above the rule of law.

“AMMA will also continue to argue for both unions and registered employer organisations to be bound by the same governance standards, transparency and penalties for wrongdoing that applies to corporations and their directors.”

www.amma.org.au

ends

THE Australian Food and Grocery Council will discuss growing Australia’s nearly $3 billion trade in agri-food exports to the Middle East with federal parliament’s Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade at a public hearing in Canberra tomorrow.

The Trade sub-committee’s inquiry into trade with the Middle East will hear from the Council representing Australia’s food, beverage and grocery manufacturing industry about the potential of Australia’s largest manufacturing sector to help feed a region with a population of more than 350 million.

The strong demand for imported food in the Middle East and North Africa will grow largely due to the region having scarce arable land and water for domestic food production alongside rising per capita incomes and consumer spending, proliferation of supermarkets, larger populations and a growing tourism hospitality sector.

While Australian agri-food exports to the Middle East have traditionally been focussed on bulk commodities such as grain and live animals, the growing tourism and related services sectors in Middle East economies has underpinned growing exports of processed food products from Australia according to the Council.

Australia’s food, beverage and grocery manufacturing industry has an annual turnover of approximately $111 billion, directly employs almost 300,000 people, with half of those in rural and regional areas, and generates $24 billion in exports.

Australia’s exports of processed food products to the Middle East averaged 23 per cent growth over the years 2009 to 2013, mostly due to strong demand in the United Arab Emirates. Australia’s exports of processed food to the UAE increased from $34 million in 2009 to $101 million in 2013 at an average annual growth of 32 per cent.

Public hearing

Date/Time                   Wednesday 9 September 2015, 11:05 am

Location                     Committee Room 1R3, Parliament House, Canberra

Organisation              Australian Food and Grocery Council

Live audio broadcast will be available at www.aph.gov.au/live

ends