National Tax Clinic Program set to expand with 5 new clinics
The Albanese government is expanding the National Tax Clinic Program to provide Australians better access to free tax advice.
In a joint statement, Minister Stephen Jones and Minister Julie Collins announced an expansion of the National Tax Clinic Program with five new clinics.
The expansion of the program would provide Australians with greater access to free and simple tax advice.
According to Minister Jones and Minister Collins, five new clinics would join the 15 currently offering vital assistance to individuals and small businesses nationwide.
The new clinics would facilitate growth and would be able to serve an additional one thousand taxpayers per year.
This action builds on the government’s 2023 budget commitment to increase funding for the program to $2 million per year.
Jones said the program was already a huge success and expanding it to reach more people was a “no-brainer.”
“Having access to free and simple tax advice can make a big difference for a small business or individual who would otherwise be priced out of this service,” he said.
“These additional five tax clinics will allow more Australians to get the tax advice they need as soon as they need it while providing a training opportunity for students.”
The applicants of the open competitive grant process were concluded and confirmed by the ATO.
The five successful applicants included TAFE NSW, Chisholm TAFE Victoria, University of Wollongong NSW, University of Notre Dame WA and University of Sunshine Coast QLD.
The government noted this initiative is imperative as tax clinics play a crucial role in the community making tax advice more accessible.
The tax clinics would also empower students enrolled in tax-related courses to offer advice and assistance under the guidance of qualified tax professionals.
The existing tax clinics have provided fee-free advice to over 18,000 taxpayers including 2,300 small businesses since its inception, Jones said.
“These clinics are one of the many measures the Albanese government is implementing to help consumers make better-informed decisions and keep more of what they earn,” he said.
Collins said the introduction of the five new tax clinics would support small businesses and help them thrive.
“Small businesses are at the heart of our economy and the expansion of our tax clinics program will give them more opportunities to access free and simple tax advice,” she said.
“Labor is the party for small business and they will always be at the heart of our government’s decision making.”
Jones and Collins said the new tax clinics would complement the government's new legislation to help reduce paperwork and streamline tax processes for small businesses.
“No Australian should be left behind because they are unable to access sound tax advice,” Collins said.
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