The Portfolio is a component of the undergraduate program of work that you would complete for Co-operative Education.

It is intended to ensure that you are meeting the expectations and targets that you set for your Co-operative Education Placement.
Please keep in mind that you would do the following throughout your Portfolio:
apply main and other fields of research principles, models, systems, philosophies, and/or technological competencies
depend on reliable sources
provide APA in-text citations (6th ed.)
Please update your Reference List with the complete reference (APA 6th ed.) Throughout Co-operative Education you will be focusing on how you are achieving the BBus Learning Goals set out below:
Learning Goal 1: Be self-directed, reflective learners
Learning Goal 2: Be knowledgeable in their major field(s) of study
Learning Goal 3: Be critical enquirers and creative problem solvers
Learning Goal 4: Be able to make business decisions that take into account social, ethical, environmental and global dimensions

Learning Goal 5: Be able to work effectively with others

Learning Goal 6: Be effective communicators

Learning Goal 7: Be connected to business



The Portfolios are the next stage of the assessment programme that culminates in an Oral Brief and Final Report. In the Co-operative Education assessments you will critically reflect on, analyse and evaluate your development throughout the Co-operative Education Placement and work on and complete a topic of your choice.





Instructions for completing this document



You are required to address all of the points in each of the sections. You may either answer each point individually or you may choose to respond to all points in one discussion using paragraphs with appropriate headings and sub-headings.



Note: Do not delete any of the information or instructions from the template

Portfolio 1 Checklist

Completed each section.

APA referencing and in-text citations.

Tasks discussed relate to major.

Research topic finalised and is focused towards the use of authoritative secondary resources.

Theories, concepts, frameworks introduced throughout.

Two personal goals reviewed and progress discussed.

Media log completed

Evidence of workspace provided.

Spellchecked and proof read document.



Preparation for your Portfolio 1

Writing up Portfolio 1

Please ensure that you read “Writing up Portfolio 1” document that is available on Blackboard under the ASSESSMENTS folder /Portfolio 1. This will assist you in completing this assessment.



The aim of this Section is:

To prepare you to complete Portfolio 1.



Reflection on feedback from your Learning Plan

THE TASKS:

Reflect on and respond to the feedback you received in your Learning Plan. Include a discussion of how this has impacted on your approach to this portfolio and/or your understanding of your ongoing personal and professional development. (2-3 paragraphs).

The Learning Plan portfolio provided an insight in the need to include the tasks to be performed in a job description to enable the achievement of a better understanding of the tasks which I need to perform during placement. The learning plan also provided an understanding of the need to support my arguments or points of views with scholarly articles such as books which provide additional insight. The learning plan also provided a guide on the need to develop a research topic that is specific to the objectives, measurable, agreed upon, realistic, and Time based (SMART goals). This ensured the developed topic could be easily assessed in terms of when the objectives of the portfolio could be achieved.

The feedback from the Learning Plan also provided an insight on the need to focus on the research topic throughout an article by recommending that any argument presented should be related to the overall topic of study. The feedback from the Learning Plan also provided also recommended that the portfolio should not focus on a different topic other than the main topic. For instance, it recommended that I should not focus on accounting packages when my area of focus is tax accounting. These feedbacks from the supervisor acted as a guide on methods of improving my Portfolio for placement at JL partners.



Your Co-operative Education Role: being knowledgeable in your major field(s) of study by demonstrating the application of knowledge from your major(s) to your Co-operative Education Placement

The aim of Section A is as follows:

To demonstrate how relevant the various theories and concepts from your major have been in completion of your tasks to date

To reflect on your performance to date

THE TASKS:

For each key task that you have undertaken so far, briefly describe the task, what your involvement is and explain how theories, concepts, models, frameworks and/or technical competencies, from your major(s) have applied. In your discussion you should:

refer to a comprehensive range of theory, concepts, models, frameworks and/or technical competencies using in-text citations.

explain how this knowledge from your major was relevant and guided you to complete your tasks.

if you found any gaps in your knowledge, discuss what you did to overcome this

Evaluate your performance to date: discuss and reflect on how well you perceive you have performed your tasks and other activities to date. You must use supporting evidence and/or examples of progress made.

Question 1

The key task that I have undertaken so far at JL Partners Chartered Accountants include: assisting the tax officer in establishing the tax filing procedures in accordance with the Goods and Services Tax (GST) laws of New Zealand, providing clients with information about current taxation laws, assisting clients in assets valuation, and keeping accounting records in the information systems. Through our cooperation and research, we have been able to identify goods that are exempt from taxation from those whose taxes need to be filed. I have also managed to communicate with the management of JL partners, regarding the significance of filing tax returns which has resulted into their resolution to file their returns on annual basis. I have also communicated with the clients of JL partners, regarding the impacts of tax on the cost of products of the company. I have assisted in conducting research on tax laws and communicating them to the management so that changes in procedures in the organization can be made in accordance with the new tax laws. We have managed to provide accurate tax information for the company in the last 1 year for the purpose of improving the organizations tax compliance requirements. I have also increased communication with clients such as suppliers and customers of the business to comply with GST tax requirements in order to ensure the authenticity of their activities. Through collaboration with the tax officer at JL Partners I have acquired the skill of using virtual technique of filing tax returns and using the organization’s tax returns application to facilitate tax management activities.

A number of concepts, theories and models have enabled me to accomplish the tasks of taxation accounting at JL Partners. The theory of Goods and Services Tax Act requires that there should be a 15% tax on all goods and services produced or sold in New Zealand. During filing of tax returns, we have ensured that all taxable products are assigned a tax value of 15% of their sales price. Furthermore, we have ensured we know the obligations and implications of complying with various components of GST laws when providing tax consultancy services to our clients. For instance, GST law also requires that a company whose annual turnover is higher than NZ$60,000 is liable for tax payment (White, 2006, p. 3). Therefore, we have recommended that clients should provide us with information about their turnover and those whose turnover values are higher than NZ$60,000 have been required to comply with the GST obligations. It is a requirement that any organization in New Zealand must keep tax records of the previous tax activities and be ready to provide them to auditors upon demand. We have complied with this law by advising our clients to ensure they keep tax records in both hard and soft copies. It is also required that tax consultants must follow the right accounting principles and standards in filing tax information in an organisation (Evans & Tran-Nam,2014, p. 2). We have ensured compliance with this law by advising our clients to use the most recommended principles of representing the values of assets and the corresponding taxes as required by accounting standards in New Zealand.

Question 2

According to my personal evaluation of my performance at the tax department at the organization, I have performed well since cooperation with the tax officer has been beneficial to me in gaining work place experience on method of managing and accounting for tax records. I have been able to establish the products and services that need to be exempted from tax and we have ensured the management is informed of any changes in taxation laws in New Zealand. We have also encountered few challenges in balancing accounting books our cooperation and dedication in keeping accurate tax records. I have also acquired skills on the rights and obligations that I have as a tax consultant which will constitute the basis for my professional practice in the future. For instance, as a tax consultant in New Zealand, I have the right to seek the services and assistance from GST in case of any area of challenge in compilation of tax returns for my organization. I am also competent in providing the tax returns of an organization so that it can escape penalties resulting from failure to keep tax records, provide supply information and invoices, and providing false information about tax returns.

Your Professional Identity: communicate effectively in professional settings, working effectively with others including intercultural perspectives

The aim of Section B is as follows:

To restate (and revise if required) your TWO chosen goals and actions for professional development

To reflect on your progress and development to date in both of these chosen goals

To review how your planned actions are supporting your progress

In your Learning Plan you developed TWO goals for your professional development to work on during your placement. These related to you

working effectively with others to make constructive contributions

working with one’s own and other cultures and diverse perspectives in professional settings



In this section you will reflect on your placement experiences in your chosen aspects of your Professional Practice so far.

NOTE: You may have refined or revised your goal(s)from feedback in your Learning Plan, as well as your specific actions you have put in place to achieve your goal(s). Please include these updates in your reflection below.

THE TASKS:

Goal ONE: Working effectively with others to make constructive contributions



State your specific aspect here: ___increasing collaborative decision making and support_______________________

My current goal is (include any changes): To seek the support and collaborate with other employees and the management of the organization in providing tax accounting services to clients

Outline your planned actions (include original and any additional/new actions)

My planned actions for working with others will involve seeking the views of other employees in making a decision regarding tax policies that needs to be applied in order to perform accounting roles in the organization successfully. According to Kluwer (2017, p. 4), working with other employees constitute an important aspect of career development because of the skills and knowledge that one acquires from other experienced staffs and the management. My planned action for working with the management of JL Partners Chartered Accountants will be in the form of updating them on any taxation demands of GST so that they can initiate actions of compliance. Muir (1993, p.6) states that any tax accountant has the responsibility to work with other employees in promoting the recording and maintenance of accounting records about tax. Working with others is also important in identification of accounting errors that I have made in my invoices and receipts so that corrections can be made to make the accounting records accurate. A study by Claus (2014, p. 8) also recommends increased communication among accountants as a means of understanding the best approach of providing goods and services of an organization.

Evaluate how your actions have helped towards achieving your goal. Discuss achievements you are making and/or issues you are encountering that may be preventing progress being made, include specific workplace examples and evidence. Note: You are required to integrate authorised sources to support your actions

Through my personal dedication, commitment, and team spirit, I have been able to promote the provision of tax consultation services at JP Partners Chartered Accountants. I have developed positive relations with other employees who have experience in tax accounting at the organization. This has provided the opportunity for me to learn about taxation skills that will be useful in my future career as a tax consultant. I have increased the level of consultation, research, communication of the findings to other employees so that they can provide their views regarding my findings and establish whether it is good for the organization. Increased communication has been achieved by seeking the views of managers and directors of the organization before implementing my findings into accounting practice. According to Sakurai & Braithwaite (2003, p. 13) employees and consultants re required to increase their roles in working with others as a means of prevention of errors and through seeking of their inputs. The main issue that is preventing the achievement of my objective of acquiring the skills of working with others in the organization is that occasionally, the senior management are involved in a number of activities which prevent my ability to consult them regarding an accounting issue that needs clarification. Claus (2014, p.226) states that an employee must seek the involvement of other employees as a means of achieving team spirit, professional development, and performance of tasks in accordance with the standards of practice in accounting.



Goal TWO: Work with one’s own and other cultures and diverse perspectives in professional settings



State your specific aspect here: _to improve my skills of working with employees of different races, ethnicities and nationalities_________________________

My current goal is (include any changes): To increase collaboration with employees of different nationalities, ethnicities, and races in the performance of tasks within the tax accounting department in a consulting organization.

Outline your planned actions (include original and any additional/new actions)

My planned action will be to increase the level of collaboration and communication for the purpose of understanding the strengths of people from other geographical settings in the provision of tax accounting services to clients. According to Sakurai & Braithwaite (2003, 19), it is an obligation of tax accountant to increase collaboration and communication with people of diverse cultures at work place in order to acquire the skills of working in different geographical settings. The skills of interacting and understanding people of different races, nationalities and ethnicities will provide me with the ability to work in any setting without necessarily working in organizations in New Zealand since I will be able to cooperate with people of diverse cultural characteristics.

Evaluate how your actions have helped towards achieving your goal. Discuss achievements you are making and/or issues you are encountering that may be preventing progress being made, include specific workplace examples and evidence. Note: You are required to integrate authorised sources to support your actions

The process of working with people of diverse perspectives has provided me with the ability to understand their points of views while providing services to clients. I have managed to develop listening skills and collective decision making before implementation which is a major requirement in taxation accounting. According to White (2006, p. 14), accountants have the duty to work in accordance with principles of practice and possess the skills of understanding different perspectives and points of views in order to perform accurate and effective accounting services to clients. However, some cultural challenges such as changes in working hours depending on a colleague’s religious beliefs and practices greatly affected my team spirit and the willingness to work with them. This is due to the requirement that I had to adjust my schedule of activities and meeting sin a manner that put their cultural beliefs into consideration. The impact was that I could not achieve particular work goals within given duration of time because of the need to adapt my schedule of activities in accordance with their time for activities.

Your Co-operative Education Placement Organisation and the environment it operates in: being critical enquirers and creative problem solvers.

The aim of Section C is as follows:

To critically examine the impact of a current event or issue from your media log on your organisation

To reflect on your integration into your organisation

To provide evidence and discuss your personal work environment

In this section you must:

support your answers with examples and evidence and reference using APA 6th ed.





THE TASKS:

Briefly state who your CPO is, their core business and the industry sector to which they belong

My CPO of assignment was the JL Partners Chartered Accountants that was established in 2010 in Auckland as a business owned by two partners for the purpose of providing accounting advisory services to clients. It specializes in the provision of a number of accounting services such as tax, audit, and Business Financial management Services for small and medium-sized businesses at low charges (Evans & Tran-Nam, 2014, p. 8). It is jointly owned by two partners who are Chartered Accountants and members of the New Zealand Institute of Chartered Accountants who have been professional accountants for more than ten years. The partners have provided accounting advisory services to clients in manufacturing industries, transport companies, retail businesses, educational institutions, construction companies, and hospitality organizations. JL partners is thus an effective accounting consultancy organization in providing its clients with expert advices in business and tax compliance so that they can focus on improving their activities to achieve higher revenues, profits, and reduction of cost of operations. The industry in which JL Partners operates is the accounting industry in which it specializes on providing financial advisory services on various areas of activity of business organizations and not-for-profit organizations.

Choose one current event from your media log that is particularly relevant to your Co-operative Education organisation. Provide a brief explanation of the event and discuss the potential implications for your organisation.

An example of a recent news event that is relevant to JL Partners is the report in 1 News article titled “English, Erdern clash in debate as shock 1NEWS Colmar Brunton poll shows National on Top in big turnaround”. The article reports a debate between Bill English and Jacinda Ardern regarding the implementation of tax policy that exempts people earning $1000 a year will be exempt from tax. Ardern was against the new proposed Labour tax policy while Bill supported the proposal. If the proposed tax law is passed, it will have an impact on the services provided by JL partners to its clients (1 News.com). The implication of the policy to JP partners is that they will need to advise their clients whose incomes are lower than $1000 not to pay taxes for any goods of services they receive because a law has been passed that exempts them.

Provide an overview of the internal environment of your organisation. Reflect on your integration into your organisation, commenting on your personal fit (e.g. personality type) together with any challenges or successes achieved to date.

The internal environment at JL partners is composed of well-organized team of employees who are composed of both male and female who specialize in different tasks such as; managing information systems of the organization, conducting research, communication with clients, and involvement in interpersonal discussions. The environment is composed of different compartments to meet the privacy of work space for each employee.

My integration into the environment of JL Partners has been possible due to my interest to join a team of professionals who have similar interests in the provision of professional accounting services to clients. I have been motivated to interact with employees in different departments such as auditing, tax accounting, and recording business transactions. My integration has been possible due to my personality of willingness to interact with others at work place through increased communication and sharing of experiences. This has been a major factor in creating a positive relationship with other employees at JL partners. According to Kluwer (2017, p. 7), the integration of an employee into an organization is determined by personal interest, ability to interact with employee, and a positive attitude towards the assigned work.

Personal Work environment:

Use visual images to illustrate your personal work environment (insert below) e.g. work stations, office space and facilities.

Discuss why you have chosen these images.







Image 1



Image 2



Image 3



Image 4

The images shows that the tasks in which I am involved are usually rigorous and one has to keep a bottle of water to quench thirst as illustrated in Image 1. The images show that most of my tasks are performed electronically by entering information into the computer and performing updates. My desk also shows a calculator in image 2 and 3 which demonstrates that most of the activities I perform require calculation of figures which are entered into the clients’ records. There is a cap containing pens of different types as illustrates in image 2 and 3 which shows that occasionally, I have to provide handwritten information such as corrections in printed documents. Figure 4 shows a booklet with a title of GST guide which shows that I use this book as a guide when providing customers with advice on methods of complying with tax obligations.

I agree to the following (please tick)

☒ Permission has been given by my workplace supervisor to provide this these images

☒ No private or confidential content has been included in these visual images

Note: If permission has not been granted you must describe your personal work environment in 2-3 paragraphs below



PLEASE NOTE: YOU MAY NEED TO RESIZE YOUR IMAGES TO UPLOAD TO BLACKBOARD.

Your Topic developing your skills as a critical enquirer and creative problem solver, being knowledgeable in your major field of study by demonstrating the application of knowledge from your major(s) to your Co-operative Education role, placement, or industry

The aim of Section D is as follows:

To finalise and justify the working title for your topic

To demonstrate progress being made in researching your topic, with evidence of at least 4-5 appropriate resources

In the Final Report you will be required to critically analyse and evaluate your chosen topic from your discipline perspective. This MUST be applied either to your role and/or your organisation and/or industry sector. This topic should develop your discipline knowledge beyond that acquired in your role and your skills as a critical enquirer and creative problem solver. You must demonstrate comprehensive understanding of your topic through research and apply it to your role and/or industry and/or organisation.

In your Learning Plan you listed your initial ideas on your area of interest from your discipline perspective. This is an opportunity for you to refine your topic and receive feedback from your Academic Supervisor. Your topic will be developed further in Portfolio 2, Oral Brief and Final Report.

Your role, organisation or its industry should provide context or background for your research. You must avoid disclosing any confidential information. You should only draw on secondary research i.e. relevant academic literature for your research and to support your discussion.



You must not disclose any confidential information from your organisation or complete any primary research.

The work must not have previously been submitted by yourself or another person.

All researched information must be acknowledged by citing and referencing in APA 6th ed.



THE TASK:

In approximately 250-350 words expand on the information you provided in your Learning Plan.

You must:

Provide a working title for your topic (this is often best stated as a question)

What competences in tax consultancy can one acquire as a result of placement in an Cooperative Educational accounting consulting company?

Provide a rationale for your topic with some detail

The rationale for the selection of the topic above is that the topic will provide an insight regarding the competences that one can acquire while working in an accounting consultancy organization. It also provides the areas where one is able to apply the educational knowledge obtained from learning institutions at the work place in the performance of tasks such as provision of advice to a client. The title is effective in understanding the outcomes that one needs to achieve as a result of placement in a CPO that provides accounting consultancy services.

Discuss how your topic is related to either your role, CPO and/or industry

The above topic is related to my role in tax accountancy because it examines the skills that one is likely to acquire as a result of placement in an accountancy CPO. According to White (2006, p. 10), placement in an accountancy organization provides one with skills of providing services to clients, the skills of preparation of tax returns, and the skills of planning financial expenditure which can be useful when providing financial advisory services. The topic is related to accounting industry because it focuses on the ways in which one can apply the accounting knowledge acquired in learning institutions into real life situation in activities such as keeping transactional records, filing tax returns, balancing books of accounts, and strategizing on how to minimize tax liability to a client.

Identify and outline the supporting information you have gathered from your research including academic literature from your major. Cite and reference appropriately and add to the reference list at the end of this document. 4-5 authoritative resources are expected.



References:

Refer to AUT Library on APA 6th: http://aut.ac.nz.libguides.com/APA6th

Claus, I. (2014). GST Compliance in the New Zealand Property Sector. Fiscal Studies, 35(2), 225-240.

Evans, C., & Tran-Nam, B. (2014). Tax compliance costs in New Zealand: An international comparative evaluation. New Zealand Journal of Taxation Law and Policy, 20(4), 339-361.

Kluwer, W., (2017). CCH Books Catalogue 2017, When You have to be Right, [Online], available at: http://www.wolterskluwer.co.nz/wp- content/uploads/2016/11/CCHbooks2017_EMAIL.pdf , accessed on September 20, 2017.

Muir, R. S. (1993). The goods and services tax: Reflections on the New Zealand experience, six years on. Revenue Law Journal, 3(2), 2.

Sakurai, Y., & Braithwaite, V. (2003). Taxpayers' perceptions of practitioners: Finding one who is effective and does the right thing?. Journal of Business Ethics, 46(4), 375-387.

White, D. (2006, May). The Serious Research Gap on VAT/GST: A New Zealand Perspective after 20 Years of GST1. In Conference on the Adoption of the Communication on Fraud.

















































Appendix 1:



Media Log Portfolio 1 (at least one entry per week of your placement). These items need to be linked to your discussion in Section C



Date

Event/ Issue (Brief discussion including relevance to business)

Media Source (APA 6th)

14th September, 2017

The event discusses the recent event in which there was lack of agreement regarding tax exemption of people earning below $1000 and whether health care grants should be increased to $2 billion

1 News.com,( 2017, September) “English, Erdern clash in debate as shock 1NEWS Colmar Brunton poll shows National on Top in big turnaround”. [Online], available at: https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/english-ardern-clash-in-debate-shock-1-news-colmar-brunton-poll-shows-national-top-big-turnaround , accessed on September 20, 2017.

































































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