Agenda

08:00am - 09:00am

Registration & exhibition open

09:00am - 09:10am

Welcome address from Principal Partner

09:10am - 09:50am

Keynote to be announced

09:50am - 10:30am

Preparing for changes to the Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing Act

The impending amendments to the Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing Act (AML/CTF Act) will have significant implications for accountants in public practice. Set to come into effect from 1 July 2026, the amendments bring professions such as accounting in under the anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing regime. The changes impose complex new requirements on accounting firms.

The session provides practical advice and tips on what accountants will need to do in order to meet the new requirements ahead of their commencement.

Key outcomes include:

  • What the AML/CTF changes will require from a client onboarding and due diligence perspective.
  • What documentation will need to be updated.
  • What training will need to be undertaken with staff and other key considerations with the new lawyers.
10:30am - 11:00am

Morning tea

11:00am - 11:50am

The shifting regulatory environment for tax and BAS agents

Accountants have been hit with several tranches of regulatory changes and amendments as part of the government's response to the PwC tax scandal. This has left tax and BAS agents grappling with multiple new obligations in a relatively short time frame. This session provides a detailed breakdown of the most significant changes and what practical steps accounting firms need to take to ensure they're compliant.

This session will provide:

  • Lingering issues for the obligations already in place including breach reporting.
  • A comprehensive look at the TPB's guidance on Tax Agent Services (Code of Professional Conduct) Determination 2024.
  • What registered agents need to do to comply with the eight new obligations.
  • Lessons from the implementation of the rules by bigger firms that will be subject to the rules from 1 January 2025, including practical examples.
  • A rundown of other changes in the pipeline including changes to the tax promoter penalty laws and what they mean for practitioners.
Scott Treatt CTA
Scott Treatt CTA
CEO, The Tax Institute
11:50am - 12:30pm

The latest on Section 99B and trust taxation

This session will examine the ATO's views on resident trust beneficiaries and income from foreign trusts as set out in TD 2024/9 and the ATO’s compliance approach in respect of s 99B in PCG 2024/3. It will analyse the impact of the TD 2024/9 on taxpayers and delve into the areas that may need to be reviewed with clients. This session will:

  • Examine the ATO's latest views on section 99B and identify the common scenarios where it needs to be considered.
  • Provide practical tips about record-keeping and documentation to ensure clients can demonstrate that section 99B does not apply
  • Discuss the situations where the Commissioner of Taxation is likely to apply compliance resources to review the applications of section 99B to trust distributions.
Kaitilin Lowdon
Kaitilin Lowdon
Principal Lawyer, Sladen Legal
Jessica Tsiakis
Jessica Tsiakis
Partner, Holding Redlich
12:30pm - 01:10pm

Speed networking break and lunch

01:10pm - 01:45pm

The superannuation landscape for the next financial year

With the superannuation space continuing to experience significant policy and legislative changes in recent years, this session will explore how practitioners can help prepare clients for the 2025-26 financial year when it comes to their super. It will provide an update on key legislative changes (both enacted and on the horizon) and critical tax issues to consider. We will consider:

  • How current strategies might need to change
  • New risks to be aware of
  • Opportunities to capture
Meg Heffron
Meg Heffron
Managing Director, Heffron
01:45pm - 02:25pm

An update from the regulator

The ATO outlines its key compliance activities and focus areas for the next financial year.

In this session, the ATO will provide insight into:

  • Emerging compliance issues within tax and super.
  • Its latest views and guidance on recent legislative changes and case law.
  • Key compliance programs and activities it has planned.
Sonia Corsini
Sonia Corsini
Assistant Commissioner, ATO
Rob Thomson
Rob Thomson
Assistant Commissioner, ATO
02:25pm - 02:30pm

MC close

02:30pm

Event concludes