Tax

We provide clients with expert advice on all taxation matters. Our advice is delivered in a practical and commercially minded manner, and our experts comprise talented legal and accounting professionals.

About Tax

All Australian business entities, their directors and management and their internal and external advisers, must have an up to the minute appreciation of all tax laws and practices and how to apply these to their commercial transactions.

It is imperative to have access to the best advice available, to manage the risk and ensure that transactions will not be derailed by unanticipated tax consequences. We work with our clients to ensure that all tax related issues in a transaction are dealt with effectively, commercially and consistently with the prevailing tax law.

The complexity of tax law demands a high degree of specialisation. We have a dedicated Tax Law group that focuses on the following areas:

  • investigations and audits undertaken by revenue authorities
  • international cross-border transactions
  • private equity transactions (mergers, acquisitions, group restructuring and financing structures)
  • income tax, with a focus on capital gains tax, trusts, consolidations, corporations, and goods and services tax
  • tax treatment of charitable and religious institutions, and not-for-profit organisations
  • general income tax
  • succession planning and intergenerational asset transfers.

Tax Agreements

Cornwalls has developed precedent agreements which can be purchased for use by corporate groups or practitioners consulting to corporate groups.

Expertise

  • Capital gains tax
  • Charities and not-for-profits
  • Company tax issues – public and private companies
  • Cross-border transactions
  • Dispute resolution / dealing with federal and state tax authorities
  • Double tax agreements
  • Estate and succession planning
  • Family office organisational restructuring
  • Foreign Investment Review Board (FIRB)
  • Fringe benefits tax
  • Goods and services tax
  • Income tax
  • International tax
  • Land tax
  • Objections and appeals
  • Partnerships
  • Payroll tax
  • Private equity
  • Private ruling applications
  • Stamp duty
  • Superannuation
  • Tax audits
  • Tax consolidation
  • Tax litigation
  • Transfer duty
  • Transfer pricing
  • Trust structures and amendments of trust deeds
  • Trust tax issues – discretionary, unit, hybrid and fixed managed investment trusts
  • Work premium disputes
  • WorkSafe tax implications

Examples

Some of our recent experience includes advising on:

  • The tax implications for the reorganisation of the property portfolio of a national retail chain
  • The tax structure for holding australian investments acquired by non-resident private equity firms
  • Tax issues affecting the tax-exempt status of major charities, when undertaking group reorganisations
  • Capital gains tax consequences, including for institutional and large private investors, where substantial redevelopment of existing retail and commercial property holdings are planned
  • The harmonisation of provisions contained in debt instruments with revenue law, used to finance the corporate acquisitions of a national retailer
  • Succession planning and intergenerational assets transfer for a substantial family group
  • The application of revenue law to schemes of arrangement, for liquidators and receivers.

Tax Articles

Our Experts

Michael Kohn

Partner, Melbourne

Dennis Tomaras

Partner, Melbourne

Paul Evans

Partner, Brisbane

Ellen Karakoussis

Senior Associate, Melbourne

Jacob McLoughlin

Senior Associate, Brisbane