GST Advisory Panel Member Biographies:

Frank Owen – Chair

Relevant Employment History and Experience

1983 to 1989:
Tax manager, and, subsequently, a tax partner with Ernst and Whiney chartered accountants. Served on the NZ Society of Accountants Auckland Branch Tax Committee, subsequently chaired the Wellington Branch Tax Committee and served as Technical Adviser to the Society’s National Tax Committee. In 1986 when GST was introduced he did GST training for Wellington accountants under contract to the NZ Society of Accountants.

1990 to 1995:
Tax Partner KPMG Wellington, and Chairman of KPMG’s National Tax Practice from 1991 to 1995. He served on KPMG’s Asia Pacific Tax Committee, and was a member of the NZ Society of Accountants National Tax Committee. In 1989 / 1990 he was the technical adviser to the NZ Governments Tax Simplification Consultative Committee chaired by John Waugh.

1996 to 2002:
Following his retirement from public practice as a chartered accountant he formed and ran CPD Training Ltd. This company provided training courses throughout New Zealand for accountants and lawyers and specialised in tax training. In 1998 CPD Training Ltd acquired the Tax Education Office [The TEO] from the Crown and changed its name to TEO Training Ltd.

In 1999 TEO Training PTY Ltd a wholly owned Australian subsidiary company of TEO Training Ltd was awarded a $NZ10 million dollar contract by the Australian Government’s GST Start-Up Assistance Office to provide GST training in Australia in anticipation of the introduction of GST in July 2000. This contract resulted in the company providing over 650 seminars throughout Australia over a twelve month period, and operating a 0800 line for the GST Start-Up Assistance office.

2005 to 2008:
During this period he was employed, part time, as Tax Adviser to Minister of Revenue, [Hon Peter Dunne]. His main role during this period was assisting with the Business Tax Review that was announced in the 2007 budget.

2008 to 2010:
He is currently employed, part time, as Tax Adviser to the Minister of Revenue, and his main role during this period has been assisting with the development of the 2010 Budget tax package.

Other GST Advisory Panel members:

Craig Macalister

Craig Macalister has been Tax Director of New Zealand Institute of Chartered Accountants since 2005. He was previously KPMG’s National Tax Director. Prior to joining KPMG, he worked at Inland Revenue, principally in the Department’s Policy Advice Division as a Senior Tax Policy Analyst.

David McLay

David McLay has practised as a tax barrister since 2003, following 17 years as tax partner with Bell Gully. Although David has considerable experience in most areas of tax law and tax litigation, he has had significant experience with GST dating back to December 1984. He has appeared in four leading Court of Appeal cases on GST issues, relating to the invoice concept, financial services, farm houses and curtilage, and warranty claims. David is also Chairman of the Rewrite Advisory Panel that deals with income tax Rewrite issues.

Phil O’Reilly

Phil O’Reilly is Chief Executive of Business New Zealand. He has a background in business, advocacy and communications in enterprises in New Zealand and Australia.

Karen Radford

Karen Radford is a Director of the New Zealand Retailers’ Association, Radford and Company Limited- a private investment company, and Development Director at Queen Margaret College, Wellington. She has extensive experience in the retail sector and was previously Managing Director of Radfords Limited, a chain of furniture and appliance stores in the lower North Island. Before joining Radfords, she was a Treasury policy analyst in the energy, tax and finance divisions. During this time she was seconded to the International Energy Agency in Paris

ENDS

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