Technical Panel
We are delighted to introduce our new Technical Panel. This panel is the backbone of the service and will be responsible for all Q&A support, newsletter content and training.
Errol la Grange
BA/LLB/Grad Dip Tax Law
Principal GST LAW and head of the TaxEd Technical Panel
Errol has been involved in the taxation industry since 1989 as one of Australia's leading GST practioners and speakers.
In 2006 as principal of law firm GST LAW and advisor to the ANZ Banking Group, he helped to negotiate and draft Australia's first GST Forward Compliance Arrangement, entered into between ANZ and the Australian Taxation Office.
His involvement with in the Government sector began in 1999 when he oversaw the GST implementation for the Cities of Melbourne and Boroondara. In 2003 Errol presented a series of government sector seminars on GST around the country and has since maintained close links to the sector's specific issues, including Grants & Appropriations.
Prior to founding GST LAW, Errol was Special Tax Counsel at national law firm Allens Arthur Robinson, where he assisted in growing the GST practice. Before arriving in Australia in 1998 to assist business and local government with GST implementation, Errol worked overseas in the field of tax with both Ernst & Young and Arthur Andersen.
Peter Adams
B.Juris M Tax Law, FTIA
Tax Director Browne & Co
Peter has more than twenty years experience as a tax professional. He has an undergraduate degree in Law and a Masters degree in taxation law from the University of Melbourne. He is a longstanding Fellow of the Taxation Institute of Australia.
Following an initial period in the profession in the local practices of KPMG and PriceWaterhouse Coopers, Peter spent several years in the investment banking sector as Australasian group taxation manager for both BNP-Paribas and Ord Minnett-JP Morgan Chase.
Since then Peter has sought to pass on his expertise to practicing accountants and lawyers as a tax trainer with both ICAA and Kaplan Australia.
Peter is currently a Director with Taxtech Solutions where he continues to provide high quality tax training and consulting across Australia. He is particularly sought after as a presenter on employment taxes by professional membership bodies and has conducted seminars for the ATO and Solicitor General.s Office as well as for participants in the not-for-profit sector. Peter has a wealth of expertise and is well known for his ability to translate complex tax issues into practical, every day language.
We are delighted to have Peter looking after FBT for TaxEd members in 2010/11.
Brett Thornett CPA
Director Applied Education
Brett is responsible for technical content and training for our new Salary Packaging service. His experience in this specialist field will prove invaluable for members who either provide salary packaging options to staff or are looking to do so.
Brett spent the early years of his professional career applying his accounting qualifications in public practice, mostly with Mann Judd. He later held commercial positions in a number of significant organisations including the NSW public utility AGL and also lectured in commercial law, accounting, finance and accounting data applications.
Prior to joining Applied Education in 2001, Brett was National Training Manager of leading taxation software supplier HandiSoft Software. His success in training and professional qualifications made him the ideal person to set up Applied Education's Payroll & Office Tax Procedures and Salary Packaging training courses. Brett now specialises in the Salary Packaging area and in 2008 ran a highly acclaimed Salary Packaging series for governmnet and non-for-profits entities around Australia.
Tony van der Westhuysen
BA; LLB; H Dip Tax Law; MBA; Cert IV in Training and Assessment.
Tony currently teaches taxation law at one of the leading universities in Australia. Prior to that, he was a tax partner with a well known Collins Street Accounting firm. Besides Australia, Tony has been involved in professional tax practice in New Zealand, New York and South Africa.
Over the last two years, Tony has designed and presented more than 50 training programs to the Australian Taxation Office, and has advised Local Government and not-for-profit organizations in matters of GST since September 2000.
Tony has worked for three of the "big four" international accounting firms, and has been a partner of two of them.
Although he has practiced in all areas of tax, Tony's particular interest is in the GST. He joined the partnership of one of the big four in New Zealand some four months before New Zealand introduced the GST. The firm was directly involved in the implementation of GST for some of the largest corporates in New Zealand, and Tony was involved in many of the client education programs.
Prior to the introduction of GST here, Tony made several trips to Australia to assist with the training of many of the local tax professionals. Finally, in January 2000, Tony was recruited by the leading GST advisors and he relocated to Melbourne. Since then, he has assisted with GST implementation and training some of the largest companies and government organisations in Australia.
Tony's knowledge of the GST implications on government sector transactions will provide members with sound and practical solutions to dealing with all aspects of the GST law.
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