Addressing financial abuse of victim-survivors of domestic and family violence
UNSW Tax & Business Advisory Clinic
What
The UNSW Tax & Business Advisory Clinic, founded in 2019, provides free tax and business advice to individuals and small business owners experiencing severe financial distress, as well as community education and advocacy, and placements for finance students. A main focus of the Clinic is addressing financial abuse, a facet of domestic and family violence (DFV). Clinic staff assist a large number of people, mainly women, who have had the tax system used against them, leaving them with financial distress and significant debt.
In all of its work, the Clinic is guided by community members and organisations in the way that it uses its research and professional expertise. It has developed and maintained strong relationships that facilitate addressing the needs of people experiencing severe financial distress, making a tangible difference in the lives of its clients and of people nationwide through advocacy and education.
Who
The work of the clinic involves many areas of UNSW, including:
- Core staff of the Clinic, part of the UNSW School of Accounting, Auditing & Taxation:
- Prof. Ann Kayis-Kumar, Founding Director
- Prof. Michael Walpole, Co-Founder
- Kevin O'Rourke OAM, Adjunct Professor
- Prof. Jennie Granger PSM, Clinic Patron
- Tony Martins, Principal Clinic Supervisor
- Patricia Karwan, Practice Manager
- Annette Tasker FIPA FFA, Clinic Supervisor
- Helen Lam CA, CPA, Clinic Supervisor
- Jono Dorse, Clinic Supervisor
- Madhvi Madhvi, Clinic Accountant
- Dianne Hanna, Clinic Accountant
- Carla Schilling, Administrative Officer
- Gendered Violence Research Network
- Australian Human Rights Institute
- Centre for Social Impact
- Gender Equality Hub
- Division of Societal Impact, Equity & Engagement
The Clinic also collaborates with a range of community and government organisations:
- Redfern Legal Centre's Financial Abuse Service NSW
- Economic Abuse Reference Group
- Financial Counselling Australia
- Centre for Women's Economic Safety
- Johnson Winter Slattery (pro bono lawyers)
- Australian Taxation Office
- Australian Financial Security Authority
- Tax Ombudsman
- The Treasury
- Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet's Office for Women
How
The Clinic’s structure and operations are based on community tax clinic models and informed by a demonstrated unmet need in the community for free tax advice. Initially, The Clinic received seed funding from the UNSW Business School (which continues to provide resources), with its current operations primarily funded through the Australian Government’s National Tax Clinic Program, philanthropy and grants. It has also received funding for specific research projects, including from the Australian Human Rights Institute and an ARC Discovery Grant.
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