In May 1919, a group of businessmen formed an association in Melbourne, which at the time was Australia’s capital city and the seat of government. The Great War had ended only six months before, but the citizens were concerned that the government of the day had yet to take action to fulfil its promise to repeal certain taxes that were created during the great conflict in order to pay for the nation’s involvement in the war.
As the taxes stayed in force, one could contend that the new Taxpayers’ Association failed in its attempt to keep the government true to its word. However it is undeniably also true that it was the government’s backtracking that spurred this group of concerned citizens to form an association that has ever since been representing and giving voice to first ordinary taxpayers and then tax practitioners. Readmore
