INTERPROFESSIONAL COLLABORATIVE PRACTICE IN PRO BONO TAX CLINICS: A CASE STUDY APPROACH
ANN KAYIS-KUMAR, GORDON MACKENZIE AND MICHAEL WALPOLE
Abstract
As one of the initial universities in the Federal Government’s National Tax Clinic Pilot Program, the University of New South Wales (‘UNSW’) Tax Clinic provides free, independent and confidential tax advice and support to financially vulnerable individuals and small businesses across New South Wales (‘NSW’).
One of the greatest challenges in establishing a free tax clinic is in ensuring that only those who are genuinely in need have access to the service. Further, tax law is a unique area of law whereby access to the transfer system (that is, welfare benefits) is often predicated on the requirement for individuals to be up-to-date with their tax affairs. This itself presents an additional barrier in access to justice.
So, by adopting an interprofessional collaborative approach, UNSW Tax Clinic offers vulnerable taxpayers – who meet criteria that are both transparent and nuanced – the ability to obtain free tax advice and support.