Judy White, CTA

Name

Judy White, CTA

Company

BDO

State

Queensland

Member since

2009

Areas of specialty

I specialise in three key areas of taxation:

• employment taxes, particularly fringe benefits tax and superannuation guarantee;
• tax effect accounting; and
• accounting and taxation advice (including GST implementation) to the financial services industry, drawing on my experience of working with credit union clients since 1999.

Why are you a member of The Tax Institute?

I consider my membership of The Tax Institute a great privilege, especially given the experience I've gained through the networks I've developed and the education programs.

I became a member for two reasons. First, I was lecturing with the Institute on its education programs so had first-hand insight into the value to be gained through membership. Second, I was very interested in the events provided by the Institute, most notably the financial services conference because of the link to my sector specialisation, and membership provided added benefits for such events.

Since joining more than five years ago, I have been impressed with the range of services and the quality of the education and seminars the Institute provides. This has been a key driver for me becoming increasingly involved in The Tax Institute, whether through attending seminars, or presenting lectures and seminars. This active involvement saw me become a member of the Membership Committee in 2012 and I've since been involved in other committees relating to education and the Young Tax Professionals program.

How is your membership beneficial to your practice and clients?

My membership is invaluable to BDO and my clients because the high quality of the training and education that I and my colleagues receive as members of The Tax Institute is clearly reflected in our work. Personally, I also gain great benefit from the many opportunities for members to network with each other and share insights.

How did you end up in tax?

Before specialising in tax, I worked in BDO’s business advisory services team, providing accounting, taxation and advisory services to a wide range of clients. In 2008, an opportunity arose to move into the tax team and because I am always up for a new challenge, I welcomed the opportunity to apply my skills in a new practice area. When I look back, it’s a shift I am very glad I made!

What are the challenges for tax practitioners this year?

With economic conditions continuing to place pressure on many sectors of the market, I see bringing in new clients as a key challenge for tax practitioners.

At BDO, we consider the need for meaningful tax reform to be of utmost importance for our clients and the broader Australian taxpaying community, so keeping up the momentum in this area will also be paramount.

Most memorable career moment to date

Most definitely when I was selected to represent The Tax Institute and conduct presentations as part of its FBT Roadshow in Queensland during 2012.

Other highlights include the uptake of a tax effect accounting tool I developed across the BDO in Australia network, and the professional and personal satisfaction I get from the long-standing relationships I have with my clients, particularly those in the credit union industry.

How do you relax?

I thoroughly enjoy listening to music, going to the gym and spending time with my family. My husband and I have two children (Xander, 9 and Alicia, 7) so a lot of time is spent as a family, whether that is enjoying a trip to the movies, going to Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary, taking a walk, or watching the kids take part in their chosen sports.

Advice to those entering the profession

Work hard and remember it’s the quality of time not the quantity of time that delivers the most benefit for you and your clients, and work on your professional relationships with colleagues and clients so you build a robust network. Most importantly, be yourself.

The Tax Institute is Australia’s leading professional association in tax. Its 13,000 members include tax agents, accountants and lawyers as well as tax practitioners in corporations, government and academia.