CPA Australia

Today, CPA Australia appeared before the Senate Economics Legislation Committee to give evidence on the Treasury Laws Amendment (Tax Reform No. 1) Bill 2026, represented by Chris Freeland AM, Elinor Kasapidis and Jenny Wong.

We set the frame clearly: our focus is not on whether this reform should occur, but on whether this measure, as currently designed, will operate effectively in practice.

Our 120,000 Australian members will be the ones applying these laws and advising those affected. That gives us a particular vantage point on what works and what doesn't.

In our submission, we identified three categories of unresolved design issues:
✅ key legislative instruments that determine who is taxed, at what rate, and on which assets have not yet been written;
✅ significant gaps in how the new rules interact with existing law (deceased estates, CGT rollovers, private company sales);
✅ and a compliance burden on taxpayers and their advisers that is substantial.

Much of the hearing focused on our compliance cost estimates — and for good reason. Treasury's regulatory impact assessment puts the cost of the CGT and negative gearing changes at $88.4 million. Our analysis tells a very different story.

Treasury's figure appears to miss three structural costs that are baked into the design of the legislation itself:

✅ The two-regime CGT calculation.
Every disposal of a pre-2027 asset requires separate calculations applying different rules to pre- and post-2027 components. We estimate this adds 45 to 90 minutes of professional time per disposal event, across approximately 800,000 annual events.

✅ The minimum tax calculation.
A five-step minimum tax calculation must be performed on every CGT return under the new regime — including returns where the top-up is nil — simply to confirm whether a liability exists.

✅ The 30 June 2027 valuation obligation.
Every CGT asset held on that date requires a market value. For listed assets, the closing price is publicly available. For unlisted assets — residential investment property, private company shares, business goodwill, collectibles — a formal valuation is required unless the Minister issues a simplified apportionment instrument. Treasury has not disclosed this cost at all.

The result: CPA Australia estimates ongoing annual compliance costs at $295 to $542 million per year — and a one-off transitional cost of $675 to $825 million concentrated in 2026 to 2028 that is missing in Treasury's regulatory impact assessment.

These are structural consequences of the mechanism the government has chosen, and they don't capture the indirect costs borne by the profession.

Our estimates are grounded in ATO Taxation Statistics, ATO Tax Time lodgement data and market rate data. Where we've exercised professional judgment rather than relying on direct data, we've said so transparently.

We are asking Treasury to publish its own compliance cost methodology so that the numbers can be properly scrutinised.

Do you know the five things every man should know and do to support his health during Men’s Health Week 2026?

Two in three Australian men wait too long when something changes. Not because they don’t care, but because life, work and commitments often come first.

We understand that sustaining high performance, both professionally and personally, starts with staying well. Taking action on your health doesn’t need to be complex. It comes down to focusing on what matters and acting early.

Watch our upcoming webinar this Men’s Health Week for practical, straight-talking guidance you can act on 👉 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBJyhKQa3ak

To all who celebrate, wishing you and your loved ones a peaceful, healthy and blessed Hijri! ✨

🏆 Congratulations to our CPA Australia winners at the 2026 Australian Accounting Awards 🏆

We’re proud to celebrate the CPA Australia members and firms recognised at this year’s Australian Accounting Awards, which honour excellence, leadership and impact across the accounting profession.

A huge congratulations to the CPA Australia winners:

Individual winners
🎓 Academic of the Year - Amanda White, University of Technology Sydney
💼 Corporate Accountant of the Year - Narci Li, WorkPac
🤝 New Partner of the Year - Leon Lam, William Nguyen & Partners
🏛️ Public Accountant of the Year - Kylie Thompson, Sorrento Strategic Accounting
🌟 Rising Star of the Year - Neha Malhotra, Nexist
💰 Superannuation Specialist Accountant of the Year - Susan Manns, Approach Super

Firm winners
🏢 Boutique Firm of the Year, 20 employees or more - PGP Consulting
📈 Business Advisory Firm of the Year - AS Advisory

Congratulations to all winners and finalists. Your achievements reflect the strength, expertise and future of the accounting profession.

View the full list of winners and finalists 👉 https://bit.ly/3S9S82O

Webinar now available on demand: Australian Federal Budget: Inside our submission on CGT and negative gearing

CPA Australia has lodged a submission on the Treasury Laws Amendment (Tax Reform No. 1) Bill 2026, authored by our Tax Lead, Jenny Wong.

In this on-demand webinar, Elinor Kasapidis, Chief of Policy, Standards and External Affairs, and Jenny Wong unpack CPA Australia’s technical review of the Bill, including:

• Insights from our technical review of the Bill
• The eight key asks outlined in our submission
• What’s next as the legislation progresses through Parliament

Watch the webinar 👉 https://bit.ly/4vQgflD

We recently brought together more than 45 members and guests for an engaging experience at the Independent Commission Against Corruption (or better known by many as the ICAC) here in Hong Kong.

The visit began at the ICAC Exhibition Hall, where attendees stepped behind the scenes of landmark cases through original evidence, historic ledger books and immersive displays. The mock-up video interview room and identification parade room with a one-way mirror offered an up-close look at investigative processes, while new multimedia showcases added further context.

Then, an insightful seminar was led by Ms Larissa Chow, Senior Corruption Prevention Officer at the Hong Kong Business Ethics Development Centre, ICAC. Drawing on practical case studies, Larissa dived into common corruption risks faced by listed companies and unpacked the ethical dilemmas encountered by directors, senior management, and accounting professionals. She also highlighted the importance of understanding relevant ordinances and fostering a culture that supports whistleblowing.

For accounting professionals, the message was clear: safeguarding ethical governance is not optional — it’s foundational.

Thank you to ICAC and all participants for making this a meaningful session.

Recently, we were pleased to renew CBRE GWS as a Recognised Employer Partner (REP) of CPA Australia, a program that supports organisations in building high-performing, future-ready finance teams.

At a recent event led by CBRE Singapore Andrew Ooi, Senior Finance Manager and APAC Leaders Ong Ee Lyn, APAC Local Finance Director and Rubert Tuan, APAC Enterprise Finance Director, CBRE Asia Pacific; 30 team members came together for a session geared towards advancing professional development and continuous learning.

Aetiiqcaz Yee, Business Development Manager at CPA Australia, shared how the CPA designation equips professionals with enhanced technical capabilities, broader career opportunities, and globally recognised credentials. He also delivered valuable perspective on ethics in the age of AI, reinforcing the importance of integrity, professionalism and sound judgement in an increasing complex business environment.

We also heard from Ong Ee Lian, Assistant Finance Manager at CBRE, who recently completed her CPA program in February 2026 and was subsequently promoted. She shared her personal journey, highlighting how the CPA Australia designation has strengthened her professional credibility, open up new growth opportunities and provides access to a global network of finance professionals. Her commitment to continuous professional development has clearly contributed to her career progression and the trust she has built with the business.

Together, these conversations underscore CBRE’s continued commitment to investing in talent and empowering finance professionals to thrive in a rapidly evolving landscape.

Ready to take your business forward as an employer of choice? Explore the benefits of being a REP here 👉 https://www.cpaaustralia.com.au/for-employers

In our 2025 Global Audience Tracking Research, we surveyed hundreds of senior finance executives for their insights on the impact CPA Australia members have on their organisations. 82% highlighted that CPAs bring stronger data-driven and analytical thinking to their organisations. These insights reinforce the critical role CPA Australia members play in helping businesses make better decisions.

To discover how CPA members are giving organisations a competitive edge, explore below.

👉 https://bit.ly/4vsVNHg

Most businesses are measuring ROI on AI incorrectly. Here’s why. 📊

Time saved is only part of the story.

The value lies in its ability to expose inefficiencies, challenge entrenched processes and open the door to entirely new ways of working.

This comes from better decisions, smarter workflows and stronger customer outcomes.

“AI’s full benefit comes from enabling your workforce to apply it to an ever-increasing range of work – not from automating a handful of predefined use cases,” Dr Sean Gallagher says.

Read the full article to gain expert insight into this key issue for business today

👉 https://bit.ly/4nZgyaS