Ben Watkinson

Executive summary

Ben is a Director in BDO’s Tax team in Sydney. He has a background working in global accounting firms, and over 19 years’ experience providing specialist personal and employment tax advice to public and private companies, and government organisations.

Ben also has extensive experience actively assisting clients with revenue authorities’ audit and compliance programs. His aim is to provide advice that is not only technically accurate, but commercial in nature.

Expertise

• Tax advisory
• Tax risk management
• Individual income tax
• Payroll tax
• Expatriate taxation
• Fringe benefits tax (FBT) and salary packaging
• Incentive arrangements and employee share schemes
• Superannuation and employer PAYG obligations
• Payroll consulting
• Workers’ compensation
• Employee termination payments
• Contractor vs employee analysis
• Complex negotiations

Experience

• Assisting clients on a large FBT outsourcing project
• Completing a superannuation recalculation and remediation program covering a large number of employees over a six-year period
• Successfully resolving tax disputes with state and federal regulators
• Helping clients successfully implement employee remuneration strategies to assist in employee engagement and retention
• Assisting with various transactions and due diligence programs.

Qualifications and affiliations

• Bachelor of Laws/Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting)

Professional engagements and activities

• Regular presenter at various employment tax seminars and conferences, including the CA ANZ’s Annual FBT Essentials Workshop and The Tax Institute’s State Taxes Convention
• Regular contributor to BDO’s Working in Australia Webinar Series.