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Adrian Raftery

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Senior Lecturer in Financial Planning, Deakin University

Mr Taxman, aka Adrian Raftery, MBA, B.Bus, FCA, CFP, F Fin, CTA, MAICD has more than 20 years experience in providing accounting services and financial advice to businesses and individuals. Being born to Irish immigrants and from a line of 6 generations of bricklayers, helped laid the foundations for the approachable, down to earth nature of Mr Taxman.

It was during a labouring stint at the age of 15 that Adrian's father gave him two options. Get an education or grab the shovel and wheelbarrow from the back of the ute & become the 7th bricklaying generation ... it didn’t take long for the accountant to emerge!

Whilst working with his father, Adrian would count the exact number of bricks required for each wall. He would make statements like "Dad I've worked out that if you didn't have so many smoke breaks, you could lay an extra 113 bricks exactly per day". It was soon after that his father suggested he drop the shovel and become an accountant.

To put himself through university, Adrian started an accounting cadetship with Pannell Kerr Forster before gaining more exposure as a manager with Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu. He spent one year fulfilling a dream to work on the stock market as an option trader, before establishing ARW Chartered Accountants in 1997 and AccountantsRus in 2001. He sold ARW to Stature ARW Accounting (an affiliate of AMP) in 2010.

Adrian is also a Certified Financial Planner, holds an MBA and specialises in business planning, financial planning and tax. He holds a graduate diploma in financial planning and a graduate certificate in Journalism. He is currently completing a PhD with the School of Accounting at UTS where his focus of research is Self-Managed Superannuation Funds.

Despite being called it for years, please don't confuse 'Mr Taxman' with 'The Taxman!'

"Consider 'Mr Taxman' as being the good cop compared to 'The Taxman' as being the bad cop ... a subtle but important difference" says Adrian.

Experience

  • 2010–present
    Principal, Mr Taxman
  • 2011–present
    Lecturer, University of Technology, Sydney
  • 2005–present
    CEO, accountantsRus
  • 1997–2010
    Managing director, ARW Chartered Accountants
  • 1997–1997
    Options trader, Optiver Australia
  • 1994–1997
    Client manager, Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu
  • 1990–1994
    Accountant, Pannell Kerr Forster/Borough Mazars

Education

  • 2010 
    University of Technology, Sydney, Graduate Certificate in Journalism
  • 2001 
    Securities Institute of Australia , Graduate Diploma of Financial Planning
  • 1997 
    University of Technology, Sydney, MBA
  • 1993 
    University of Technology, Sydney, B. Business

Publications

  • 2013
    101 Ways to Save Money on Your Tax - Legally!, 3rd edition, Wrightbooks

Grants and Contracts

  • 2013
    Monitoring and performance attributes of superannuation funds in Australia
    Role:
    Principal
    Funding Source:
    Centre for International Finance & Regulation
  • 2013
    Self-Managed Super Funds: Why are they popular and do they fulfil a useful purpose?
    Role:
    Fellow
    Funding Source:
    Centre for International Finance & Regulation
  • 2012
    Cost, investment performance, asset allocation and audit attributes of self-managed superannuation funds in Australia
    Role:
    Principal
    Funding Source:
    ICAA