Jennifer Davies

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The Hon Jennifer Davies SC

The Honourable Jennifer Davies SC is a retired judge of the Federal Court of Australia and during her time on the bench was the national co-ordinating judge of the Taxation National Practice Area. Prior to her appointment to the Federal Court she was a judge of the Supreme Court of Victoria, sitting in the Commercial Court division and before then, a member of the Bar from May 1983. She took silk in 2004.

She is on the board of the International Association of Tax Judges. She is also an Honorary Principal Fellow at the University of Melbourne lecturing in postgraduate courses and on the Melbourne University Tax Advisory board and a member of the Australian Academy of Law, the International Academy of Estate and Trust Law and the International Fiscal Association, and a Fellow of the Taxation Institute of Australia.

She has resumed practice at the Victorian Bar in advice work, early neutral evaluations, arbitrations and mediations.

Session details

Session 14.5: Tax Disputes and Evidence

In order to avoid a lengthy audit or dispute with the ATO, one must think about the facts and evidence to support the position adopted by a taxpayer. This panel session will provide views from a retired judge and pre-eminent tax barrister along with a tax disputes lawyer on:

the importance of facts and evidence in a dispute, including the critical role that taxpayers and in house functions have in this regard;
the role of barristers, solicitors, tax advisors at all stages of an audit or dispute – along with the important role that the taxpayer and non tax stakeholders within the business can play; and
how to manage and avoid a controversy and how the approach and strategy might differ at all stages of the tax dispute continuum.

Speakers: The Hon Jennifer Davies, SC, Angelina Lagana, CTA, KPMG Law