A new career path: Johan’s PhD journey in tax transparency

Before embarking on his PhD at the ANU School of Regulation and Global Governance (RegNet), Johan van der Walt was a tax controversy adviser —an experience some might call going over to the “dark side.” After working for a national revenue authority and later in private practice, the opportunity to research a PhD full-time at RegNet was a wonderful chance for him to do some late-career retooling.

Johan’s decision to pursue a PhD was sparked by a unique opportunity —the chance to work with some of the leading figures in regulatory studies, including RegNet’s Professors Valerie and John Braithwaite, as well as former ATO Commissioner Michael D’Ascenzo, who agreed to join his supervisory panel.

“Without their guidance, commitment and perseverance, including the excellent support from the wider RegNet academic network and community, my PhD would have remained a pipedream,” he recalled.

Johan’s thesis, How are multinational corporations operating in Australia reacting to greater tax transparency?, focused on tax transparency as a regulatory tool. His research aimed to uncover how multinational corporations (MNCs) responded to increasing demands for transparency in their tax practices. His qualitative research found that while transparency encourages some openness in MNCs, it didn’t always lead to meaningful change. For many MNCs, transparency may move their “hands” but not their “hearts”. This raised concerns that companies might engage in “mock compliance,” focusing on appearances rather than fundamental reform.

One of the highlights of Johan’s PhD journey was his fieldwork.

“It was virtually impossible to establish the genuineness of MNCs’ publicly directed declarations about toning down tax-aggressive behaviour,” Johan explained.

To gather data, he conducted interviews with high-level executives who had deep insights into corporate tax behaviour. This included individuals from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the Australian Tax Office, the Big Four accounting firms and peak industry bodies, among others. Through over 55 hours of interviews, Johan delved into the “real” tax behaviours of MNCs, getting behind closed doors to assess whether the move to transparency was causing any fundamental behavioural change.  

Johan’s PhD studies prepared him for a future focused on regulatory issues. He described regulatory “steering” as the process by which people, sensing a changing environment, engage with and co-design interventions. By viewing tax transparency as a form of information-based regulation, he explored how access to corporate tax data influenced behaviour and whether it can effectively steer compliance. Given RegNet’s interdisciplinary approach and its leadership in regulatory studies, it provided the ideal environment to investigate these complex interactions.

During his studies, Johan had numerous learning experiences that shaped his perspective.

“Completing a PhD is a long and hard journey. There were many helping hands along the way, namely, a ‘super’ supervisory panel and the RegNet academic community creating an intellectually stimulating environment. I am grateful for my fellow students who were great travelling companions, and for the unwavering dedication and support of my family,” he said.

For those considering a PhD, Johan offered some advice:

“Make sure you understand the ANU rules around PhD research, especially regarding the word limit as that has caused me untold misery,” he said.

“Get a strong supervisory panel to keep you on track and motivated. Don’t go down too many rabbit holes, and make sure you have a crisp and well-defined research question. Remember, a PhD is a marathon, not a sprint.”