The ECU Tax Clinic operates an independent service from Joondalup and Carnarvon. Here unrepresented and those that may not be able to use a tax practitioner due to economic, social or personal factors can seek free tax assistance from a team of selected students, registered tax agent, student supervisors and academic staff.
Our team in 2023
ECU Tax Clinic Coordinator – Associate Professor Prafula Pearce
Dhvani Thakkar – Registered Tax Agent Perth
Dr Lex Fullarton – Carnarvon Representative
Clare Tai – Academic Staff
Emma Riley – Student Supervisor
Jack Clune – Professional Staff
Focus areas
- Remote – Carnarvon, Fitzroy Crossing
- Disabled/Aged Care/Retirees/overseas students
- Centrelink income
- Small business, especially first-time small business start-ups e.g. Uber services, cleaning, etc
- New arrivals to Australia and/or lodging tax return for the first time
- Single mums with Parenting Payment single income
- Age pensioners with franked dividend income
- Taxpayers who need assistance with lodging their tax returns using MyGov
Clinic operation
- Perth (face-to-face)
- Carnarvon (face-to-face)
- Any part of Australia (on-line)
- Ad-hoc remote visits
Clinic scope
Assist individuals and small businesses with:
- tax reporting including overdue lodgments using MyGov or Xero
- tax advice
- understanding Notice of Assessments
- remission of penalties and payment plans with ATO
- Centrelink benefits.
Highlights for 2023
In 2023, the ECU tax clinic:
- involved 27 students
- operated for 26 weeks
- delivered 1,450 hours of community service
- received 399 client enquiries
- helped 160 clients in Perth
- helped 84 clients in remote areas.
Federal Parliament acknowledgement
See ECU Tax Clinic acknowledged in Federal ParliamentExternal Link
27 student volunteers
The ECU Tax Clinic is a Work Integrated Learning (WIL) program. It links ECU students in Accounting, Finance and Law to a workplace experience at the ECU Tax Clinic that is related to a specific field of study, being taxation.
315 booked clients in Perth
You can hear our clients’ experiences in the following videos:
1450 hours servicing the community and more
Here’s an example of one client’s story who we were able to help.
“I am contacting you as recommended by my financial counselor as my financial situation is in dire straits due to my business failing leaving me with debt and recently separating from the father of my child. Due to my newly single situation and not completing my tax, I am unable to get any benefits from Centrelink including - Single Parent Payment, Family tax benefit, Rent support and Childcare subsidy. I am working part time and have my daughter full time, leaving me a low-income worker. If you could please help me, I would really appreciate it.”
55 completed clients in Carnarvon
With the support from the Shire of Carnarvon, the ECU Tax Clinic Carnarvon office operates from the Carnarvon Library and Art Gallery under the supervision of ECU Adjunct Professor, Dr Lex Fullarton. An automatic client inquiry, calendar booking and client tracker system using Teams makes it possible for the ECU Tax Clinic in Joondalup to serve remote and regional community clients.
$15,402.04 refund amount – Fitzroy Crossing
This 1.5 day trip to Fitzroy Crossing, located in the Kimberley region about 2500 kilometres from Perth allowed the ECU Tax Clinic to serve this remote community where there are no registered tax agents, and to build a relationship with the General Manager and Financial Counsellor of the Marra Worra Worra Aboriginal Corporation. This is the oldest and largest Aboriginal Resource Agency in the Kimberley having served the region and its people for over 41 years.