Is a statutory fiction necessarily a horror story for taxpayers?
Source: Taxation In Australia Journal Article
Published Date: 1 Oct 2016
Expert evidence is often relied on in taxation litigation, especially when provisions of the taxation legislation call for consideration of a hypothetical, such as a hypothetical transaction, sale or purchase price. Recent cases have highlighted that, in relation to these hypothetical situations, the usual procedures may have significant shortcomings. In three recent cases, expert evidence called by the taxpayers did not address the correct statutory question and therefore could not satisfy the taxpayer's burden, ultimately because in each case the taxpayer construed the provision in question differently from the court.
These cases are concerning because of the possible perception that the taxpayer did not have the opportunity to adduce evidence to address the correct statutory construction, and the inefficient use of resources in adducing and considering extensive evidence which was, in the final analysis, of little or no relevance. This article provides an overview of each of the three decisions and then proposes potential alternative approaches to using expert evidence more effectively and efficiently in tax litigation.
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Details
- Published By: Lucy Davis, Helen Symon KC
- Published On:1 Oct 2016
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