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Draft:Michael D'Ascenzo

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  • Comment: Could you add sections please i.e (Biography/Early life, Career) ANUwrites 08:11, 18 January 2025 (UTC)

Michael D'Ascenzo AO (born November 1953) is a former senior Australian public servant. He was the Commissioner of Taxation of the Commonwealth of Australia and Registrar of the Australian Business Register from 1 January 2006 to 31 December 2012.[1][2][3][4][5]

Early Life

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D'Ascenzo immigrated from Rome Italy to Australia in 1959, and settled in Canberra with his parents and sister. He went to school at St Joseph's Primary and Daramalan College Canberra, where he was school captain.[6]

He attended the Australian National University in Canberra from 1973 to 1977, graduating with degrees in Economics and Law.[7]

Career

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Australian Taxation Office

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D'Ascenzo joined the ATO in December 1977 as a graduate. There he initially worked on the tax avoidance schemes of the 1970s and 1980s, such as 'Bottom of the Harbour' and trust stripping schemes [8]. He later worked on transfer pricing[9], compliance, and tax law and reform.[10][11]

He was appointed Second Commissioner of Taxation with a focus on tax law interpretation and implementation processes by the then Treasurer Peter Costello in May 1998. He was reappointed Second Commissioner in April 2005, Mal Brough, Minister for Revenue and Assistant Treasurer noting the wide respect for D'Ascenzo domestically and internationally.[12]

D'Ascenzo was appointed Commissioner of Taxation by Treasurer Costello on 10 November 2005 with effect from 1 January 2006.[13] This made D'Ascenzo the first Commissioner of Taxation with a non-English speaking background.

As Commissioner of Taxation D'Ascenzo was an Ex-Officio member of the Australian Crimes Commission Board[14][15] and the Board of Taxation[16]. Internationally he was Vice Chair of the OECD's Forum on Tax Administration.

During his tenue as Commissioner, the modernization program initiated by his predecessor Michael Carmody was implemented, and according to Edmonds, D'Ascenzo invested in developing personal empathy between tax officers and the community.[17]

The Joint Committee of Public Account concluded in 2011 that the administration of Australia's tax system was robust and well managed, and the Chair of the Joint Committee, Rob Oakeshott, noted in November 2012 that many improvements had been made to the Australian tax administration during D'Ascenzo's tenue.[18][19] These improvements included on-line services and cultural and technological change.[20]

D'Ascenzo's term as Commissioner of Taxation concluded on 31 December 2012.

Post ATO Career

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After his career at the ATO, D'Ascenzo was a member of the Australian Foreign Investment Review Board (2 January 2013 to 1 January 2018)[21][22][23]; a Non-Executive Director of Australia Post (30 May 2013 to 30 May 2016)[24][25][26]; and a Member of the Australian Clean Energy Regulator (19 March 2013 to February 2022).[27][28]

Recognition

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In 1993 D'Ascenzo received an Australian Public Service Commission Fellowship to Harvard's Program for Management Development;[citation needed] and in 2003 the Australian National University's College of Business and Economics awarded him recognition as a Distinguished Alumnus.[citation needed]

In 2010 he received the Editor's Choice Award, in the International Tax Review's 2010 Asia Tax Awards, for influence and leadership in Tax administration, particularly during the global economic crisis. This mainly related to the support provided to viable businesses.[29][30]

On 26 January 2010 he was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) for service to public administration, particularly through reform and innovative engagement with the taxation profession and other government agencies.[citation needed]

In 2012 he was awarded the Australian Institute of Chartered Accountants' Federal Government Leader of the Year Award.[31]

References

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  1. ^ Edmonds, Leigh (November 2010). Working for all Australians 1910 - 2010 (First ed.). Canberra: Australian Taxation Office. pp. 238–257. ISBN 9780980806724.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)
  2. ^ Commissioner of Taxation (October 2006). Annual Report 205-6. Canberra Australia: Australian Taxation Office. pp. 1–8. ISSN 0816-5505.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)
  3. ^ Commissioner of Taxation (October 2012). Annual Report 2011-12. Canberra Australia: Australian Taxation Office (published October 2011). pp. 4–12. NAT 0995-10.2012 JS 23899.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)
  4. ^ Australian Business Register: Report of the Registrar 2011-12. Canberra: Australian Business Register. December 2012. pp. 2–3.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)
  5. ^ Commissioner of Taxation (3 October 2013). Annual Report 2012-13. Canberra: Australian Taxation Office (published 2013). pp. vi.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)
  6. ^ Littleton, Fr J.J. (1972). "The Daramalan College Magazine: A Record in the Life of the School". The Daramalan Magazine. XI 1972: 4, 16–17.
  7. ^ Robson, Alexandra (2019). Who's Who in Australia 2020 (LVI ed.). Australia: Australian Associated Press Pty Ltd. pp. 472–473. ISBN 978-1-74095-458-7.
  8. ^ Boucher, Trevor (June 2010). Blatant, Artificial and Contrived - Tax schemes of the 70s and 80s. Canberra: Australian Taxation Office. pp. 110–12, 196–197, 256–7, 276–278, 322, 326–330. ISBN 9780980806700.
  9. ^ Lawson, Mark (June 4, 1996). "Apple early to bite the bullet on transfer pricing". Australian Financial Review. Retrieved 17 March 2025.
  10. ^ House of Representatives, Second Reading Speech, Taxation Laws Amendment (Self Assessment) Bill 1992. Canberra: Commonwealth of Australia. 1992.
  11. ^ The Parliament of the Commonwealth of Australia, Joint Committee of Public Accounts (November 1993). Report 326 An Assessment of Tax. Canberra: Australian Government Publishing Service (published Nov 1993). p. 70. ISBN 0-644-32833-9.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)
  12. ^ Brough, Mal (28 April 2005). "Re-Appointment of Second Commissioner of Taxation". Retrieved 17 March 2025.
  13. ^ Costello, Peter (10 November 2005). "Appointment of Commissioner of Taxation". Retrieved 18 March 2025.
  14. ^ "Australian Crimes Commission". 11 November 2013.
  15. ^ Australian Crimes Commission Act 2002, s7B(2)(i)
  16. ^ Board of Taxation (November 2012). Board of Taxation Annual Report 2012. Canberra. p. 17. ISBN 978-0-642-74941-3.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link) CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  17. ^ Edmonds, Leigh (November 2010). Working for all Australians 1910-2010, A brief History of the Australian Taxation Office (First ed.). Canberra: Australian Taxation Office. pp. 237, 238–257, 268, 269. ISBN 9780980806724.
  18. ^ Parliament of the Commonwealth of Australia (November 2011). Joint Committee of Public Accounts and Audit: Report 426, Ninth biannual hearing with the Commissioner of Taxation. Canberra. pp. Foreword by Rob Oakeshott (Chair). ISBN 978-0-642-79596-0.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link) CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  19. ^ The Parliament of the Commonwealth of Australia (November 2012). Joint Committee of Public Accounts and Audit, Report 434: Annual Public Hearing with the Commissioner of Taxation – 2012. Canberra: Commonwealth of Australia. pp. vi. ISBN 978-0-642-79814-5.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)
  20. ^ Swan, Wayne (24 October 2012). "Conclusion of term for Tax Commissioner Mr Michael D'Ascenzo AO".
  21. ^ Swan, Wayne (24 October 2012). "Conclusion of term for Tax Commissioner Mr Michael D'Ascenzo AO". Federal Treasurer's Media Release 2012 - No. 102. Retrieved 23 March 2013.
  22. ^ Swan, Wayne (24 October 2012). "Appointment of Mr Michael D'Ascenzo AO to the Foreign Investment Review Board". www.treasurer.gov.au Media Releases 2012. Retrieved 2013-05-13.
  23. ^ Foreign Investment Review Board (28 February 2014). Foreign Investment Review Board Annual Report 2012-13. Canberra Australia: Commonwealth of Australia - The Treasury. pp. 4–5. ISBN 978-0-642-74942-0.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)
  24. ^ Conroy, Stephen (31 May 2013). "Australia Post Board Appointments".
  25. ^ Australia Post (2016). Part of Tomorrow Annual Report 2016. Melbourne Australia: Australia Post. pp. Page 9.
  26. ^ Australia Post. "Part of Tomorrow Annual Report 2016" (PDF). auspost.com.au.
  27. ^ Munro, Chloe (10 October 2013). Clean Energy Regulator Annual Report 2012-2013. Canberra Australia: Clean Energy Regulator. p. 19. ISSN 2200-937X.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)
  28. ^ David, Parker (30 September 2019). Clean Energy Regulator 2018-2019 Annual Report, Accelerating Carbon Abatement in Australia. Canberra Australia: Clean Energy Regulator. pp. 78–79. ISSN 2200-937X.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)
  29. ^ Commissioner of Taxation (7 October 2010). Annual Report 2009-10. Canberra Australia: Australian Taxation Office. p. 53. NAT 0995-10.2010 JS 16512.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)
  30. ^ International Tax Review (1 December 2010). "Awards honor complexity and innovation". www.internationaltaxreview.com. Retrieved 23 March 2013.
  31. ^ White, Lee (15 October 2012). "Federal government leaders recognised". www.charteredaccountants.com.au. Retrieved 23 March 2013.
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