KPMG, which has collaborated with the Griffith Tax Clinic for a number of years, will now provide the Clinic with funding of $33,000 to help support its important community work. This additional revenue, which supplement the financial support by the Federal government, is critical given the rising running costs of running the clinic.
The Clinic, which has now been operating for five years, enables Griffith University tax students (under professional supervision) to provide a friendly and supportive taxation advice service to vulnerable individuals, small businesses, and community organisations.
Located at Griffith’s Logan campus, the Clinic is the only service of its kind in SE Queensland.
Hayley Lock, Tax Partner in KPMG’S Brisbane office, said; “The Griffith Tax Clinic is a vital link in improving the tax literacy and compliance for individuals and organisations who are unable to afford professional advice. The Clinic also improves the confidence of clients in being able to deal with their tax obligations going forward. KPMG is pleased to take this next step in our support for the Clinic’s work, which underscores our commitment, as a firm, to making a positive, sustainable impact on our communities.”
During the last five years the Clinic has operated for 278 days with 129 Griffith students having worked at the clinic, and it has:
- received 2,052 client enquiries
- conducted 1,034 client meetings
- assisted 336 small businesses
- conducted 96 workshops to over 2,702 attendees
- lodged approx. 2,200 tax returns (including Business Activity Statements).
The Clinic’s co-directors, Dr Melissa Belle Isle and Professor Brett Freudenberg, said: “It is fantastic to have KPMG as an ally support of the Griffith Tax Clinic. This support will help the Clinic to continue its important community service, as well as providing a rich learning experience for students as they develop their skills to be future tax professionals, both in terms of their tax knowledge but also their ability to communicate effectively with clients.”
The collaboration provides a pathway for KPMG’s tax professionals to meaningfully contribute to the development of the students participating in the program.
Hayley Lock added: “As a firm, we have employed a number of graduates from the Clinic. Within my own group last year, two-thirds of the grads we took on were from there. We find they have benefited a lot from the program and can join us and hit the ground running, with the positive experience they have had, dealing with clients.”
The Clinic is embedded in the Logan community with many referrals coming from Uniting Care, Lifeline, Variety (Qld), the Small Business Financial Counselling Service, Settlement Services International, and the Queensland Small Business Commissioner. The Clinic can be contacted via its website: www.griffith.edu.au/griffith-tax-clinic
There will be an official launch event of KPMG’s Ally Support on Tuesday 27 August 2024 at Griffith’s Logan campus. This event will include a KPMG hosted ‘Careers in Tax Session’, followed by a free community tax workshop conducted by the Griffith Tax Clinic about ‘Superannuation and You’ from 5:00pm to 7:00pm AEST.
To register for the tax workshop please go to: https://forms.office.com/r/Q6SpWZbej1
For further information
Ian Welch
KPMG Communications
0400 818 891
iwelch@kpmg.com.au