Western Sydney University is a holding student-run free tax clinic, supported by the University’s School of Business, which is the first of its kind in Sydney.
Dr Connie Vitale, tax clinic manager, said Western Sydney University played an important role providing this kind of vital assistance.
“The level of services requests we have already received demonstrate the need for this facility, and we only expect demand to grow,” Vitale said.
Already running at the Parramatta City campus, over 40 members of the public had attended the clinic with students providing assistance ranging from simple tax returns to start-up business advice.
Student volunteers assisted with referrals from the Tax Ombudsman to support vulnerable taxpayers who needed assistance liaising with the Australian Tax Office (ATO).
“Just like when you apply for a job in finance, our students have to go through a thorough vetting process before they can become part of the Tax Clinic, and we expect them to operate in a professional manner, which is supported at all times by academics from Western Sydney University’s School of Business,” Vitale said.
“The clinic experience will become a fundamental part of their career-readiness development and will equip them with invaluable insight into real-world scenarios.”
