MEET RACHEL O’DONNELL
With almost 20 years of experience advising large listed and unlisted corporates, high net worth individuals and small to medium enterprises, Rachel is very familiar with the operation and technicalities of the GST and various state and territory tax regimes, which are constantly evolving.
AREAS OF EXPERTISE
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Rachel provides practical GST advice to assist businesses to efficiently manage their GST obligations, risks, and opportunities. She also reviews and assists with drafting transaction documents to ensure the GST treatment is appropriately documented to align with the parties’ commercial agreement and achieves the correct GST outcome.
Such advice is often provided in the context of a significant transaction (such as an acquisition or disposal of a business or a substantial asset) but can also arise in relation to the settlement of a commercial dispute, a corporate restructure, or when a business (or the ATO) identifies a potential mischaracterisation or historic GST exposure.
Rachel also assists her clients by providing GST structuring advice and technical compliance advice.
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Duty implications (including potential landholder duty and foreign purchaser duty) should be carefully considered, identified and quantified before undertaking a merger, acquisition of assets and / or interests in an entity, or restructure (and before any documents are signed). Rachel’s practical approach ensures her clients understand and appropriately address these implications and prevent unintended duty liabilities, whilst maintaining focus on the desired commercial objectives. She also reviews and assists with drafting appropriate transaction documents to minimise the risk of unintended duty consequences.
Rachel also assists clients in addressing potential historic exposure to duty, by working with them to identify and address risks. This can be undertaken as an internal review, vendor due diligence to prepare for a sale, purchaser due diligence prior to an acquisition, or in response to an audit or investigation by a state / territory revenue authority.
Where duty liabilities arise, Rachel assists clients to comply with their lodgement and payment obligations, and to apply for relevant exemptions or concessions that might be available.
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Land tax is a crucial consideration when purchasing property, acquiring an interest in an entity that holds property, and when undertaking a restructure. Rachel brings a wealth of land tax knowledge to her structuring advice, assisting clients to make informed, commercial decisions regarding their purchases and restructures.
Rachel also undertakes comprehensive reviews of her clients' land tax affairs to ensure they fully comply with their obligations (which can be more onerous than many taxpayers appreciate). Where appropriate, she engages with the state / territory revenue authorities to seek relevant exemptions, object to land tax assessments, make voluntary disclosures (where exposure / non-compliance is identified), and respond to and resolve land tax investigations.
WHAT DO YOU NEED HELP WITH?
Rachel’s clients come to her for practical, commercial advice regarding their indirect tax affairs.
Rachel’s advice will ensure you’re fully informed of the relevant GST, duty and / or land tax implications before you enter a restructure, or the sale or acquisition of an interest in a business, assets of a business, or an interest in an entity.
She will work with you to respond to an ATO investigation regarding your GST affairs, or a state / territory revenue office investigation regarding your duty or land tax affairs. She can also undertake an internal compliance review to identify risks and hotspots, and assist with any voluntary disclosures that should be made (in order to minimise penalties and interest that the revenue authorities might otherwise impose if they identify liabilities after commencing an investigation).
Rachel can also advise on the prospects of possible exemptions / concessions being available and, where appropriate, draft robust submissions to seek those exemptions / concessions.
LET’S CHAT
Rachel O'Donnell offers various types of specialist indirect tax law support.
Whether you’re in business or a private client seeking technical expertise, or if you work in an accounting or law firm that needs additional or more specialised support, feel free to contact Rachel to see how she can assist you with your indirect tax matters.