Rate My Professor Rob Whait

Dr Rob Whait is the Senior Lecturer in Taxation Law and Founder and Director of the Adelaide University Tax Clinic at Adelaide University’s College of Business and Law, School of Accounting and Finance. The clinic delivers free tax assistance and representation to vulnerable taxpayers unable to self-manage or afford agents, while equipping students with real-world experience linking university learning to the tax profession. His research aims to foster a fairer, more accessible tax system by dismantling legal and administrative barriers, ensuring ATO decision consistency, upholding taxpayer rights for vulnerable groups, and bridging tax literacy gaps via remedial initiatives. Key interests encompass access to justice, artificial intelligence, crime and social justice, household finance, financial literacy, human rights, Pacific peoples and law, and taxation law. A Chartered Accountant and Chartered Tax Adviser, Whait participates in the National Tax Clinic Stewardship Committee and ATO’s Communication Content Working Group, and formerly acted as Secretary and joint editor for the Australasian Tax Teachers Association.

Whait obtained his PhD from the University of South Australia (2010-2014), Graduate Diploma Chartered Accountant from ICA Australia (2001-2003), BComm from UniSA (1998-2001), BSc (Honours) from University of Adelaide (1992), and BSc from University of Adelaide (1988-1991). Pre-academia, he worked in tax at small, large firms, and Big 4. His academic trajectory at UniSA (now Adelaide University): Associate Lecturer Taxation Law (2006-2014), Lecturer (2015-2019), Senior Lecturer (2020-2025). He has garnered extensive awards: Business School Staff Excellence for Quality Teaching (2007,2008), Supported Teacher (2009-2011), Research Commendation (2014), Top Early Career Teacher (2015), Top Research Team (2017), Industry Collaboration (2018), Collaborative Supervision (2019), Teaching Commendation (2020); plus UniSA Research Excellence for Collaborative Supervision (2019) and Top Research Team (2017). Notable publications feature "Contributing to Indonesia's SDG achievement: disclosures of regional-owned enterprises" (2025), "UNDERSTANDING THE NATURE OF VULNERABILITY AND ITS IMPACT ON TAX COMPLIANCE" (2025), "Slipping through the cracks: deficiencies in the Australian taxation office's application of Its compliance model" (2024), "Tax clinics in Australia - the road to legitimacy" (2022), and "Reforming access to superannuation for pacific Australia labour mobility workers" (2024). His contributions shape tax administration, vulnerable compliance, and policy innovations.