Jason Barnes is a special counsel with over 20 years' tax experience. Jason specialises in income tax, with a practice extending across environmental taxes (with a focus on the tax aspects associated with renewable energy and decarbonisation projects, such as carbon capture and storage and ACCU generation), GST, payroll tax, stamp duty and PRRT.
He advises a diversified mix of Australian and overseas clients in the financial services, insurance, energy and resources, construction, industrial and technology sectors on all aspects of income tax law, including the tax aspects of financing, international and cross-border, commercial and capital management related transactions.
Jason has extensive experience in representing clients in their dealings with the Australian Taxation Office, both in the context of applying for and obtaining rulings as well as in the context of audits, reviews and disputes with the Australian Taxation Office.
His experience also includes two secondments to major banks in Hong Kong and Melbourne.
Jason’s work highlights include:
- Citigroup: on the transfer of RBC’s custodian business to Citi, and on the disposal of Citi’s Australian consumer business to NAB
- BHP: on the demerger of South32
- Major multinational oil and gas group: on the tax and PRRT aspects of various decarbonisation projects (ACCU acquisitions and generation, and carbon capture and storage)
- Major multinational technology group: on the reorganisation of its end-customer business model in Australia (as part of a broader reorganisation of that business model)
- Major multinational supermarket chain: on the Australian income tax and stamp duty aspects of a complex global restructure
- Multinational oil and gas group: on a number of complex tax depreciation issues, which required engagement with senior officers at the Australian Taxation Office
- Crown Resorts: on the test case on the application of section 25-90 and Part IVA concerning the deductibility of interest payable on funds borrowed to make foreign acquisitions
- Goldman Sachs: on various ‘business as usual’ and other transaction for Goldman Sachs over nearly 20 years, including the reorganisation of its global asset management business and subsequent sale of its Australian equity and fixed income business.
