Young government lawyers have won the 2017 Tax Policy Competition organised by the Tax Policy Scholarship Charitable Trust (TPSCT).
New Zealand Treasury analyst Matt Woolley and Inland Revenue (IRD) solicitor Talia Smart were co-winners, both splitting the $14,000 prize for both the winner and runner up of the competition.
The other finalists of the competition were KPMG’s Chris Park and IRD solicitor Nicholas Coyle. They were selected from a pool of 25 contestants who submitted proposals.
Woolley’s tax reform proposal was a fully integrated tax system that attributes all company income to shareholders. Smart won for her proposal to remove business income exemption for charities.
The finalists presented their proposals to a panel composed of TPSCT chair and former PwC chair John Shewan, ex-
Bell Gully tax partner Joanne Hodge, former IRD deputy commissioner Robin Oliver, Victoria University Business School dean Bob Buckle, and former secretary of Treasury John Whitehead.
Last year, TPSCT invited tax professionals under 35 years of age to submit proposals for significant policy reforms for the New Zealand tax system.
Related stories:
Top firm wins pan-Asia gender diversity award
New Zealand Law Awards hits another record
