Stephen Chen is a Partner in MinterEllison's tax practice, based in Melbourne, specialising in tax controversy and tax disputes. He advises some of the world's and Australia's largest organisations on their tax disputes with the Australian Taxation Office, across industries including mining and resources, big tech, pharmaceuticals, automotive and financial services. Stephen also advises high net wealth individuals, celebrities and sportspeople on their tax disputes.

Stephen represents taxpayers in high-profile litigation in Federal and State Courts and Tribunals. He has managed cases across a diverse range of areas including income tax (including Part IVA, R&D and transfer pricing), GST, stamp duty, payroll tax, debt recovery and legal professional privilege, has been the instructing solicitor in over forty tax cases, including for the Commissioner of Taxation earlier in his career.

Stephen is an active contributor to the tax profession. He is a Victorian councillor of the Chartered Accountants, an education convenor for the Tax Institute, contributing to the development of its new CTA3 program, one of the chairs of the Victorian Tax Forum committee, a committee member of the Tax Controversy Masterclass and a lecturer in the University of Melbourne Tax Master's program. He was also the recipient of the Tax Institute's Justice Graham Hill Scholarship in 2017.

Career highlights

Stephen has recently been instructing solicitor in the following matters:

• HESTA v FCT — for the taxpayer (pending)
• Department of Education v FCT — for the taxpayer (pending)
• Australia Investment Holding Group v FCT — for the taxpayer (pending)
• AIL Education Pty Ltd v FCT – for the taxpayer (pending)
• Landcom v FCT — for the taxpayer (successful both at first instance and on appeal)
• PKWK v Innovation and Science Australia — for the taxpayer (successful)
• Victoria Power Networks v FCT — for the Commissioner (successful at first instance, partially successful on appeal)
• Hart v FCT — for the Commissioner (successful both at first instance and on appeal)