Gary Watson

Gary Watson is solicitor and aged care adviser. There are many stages throughout life where you need simultaneous legal and financial advice. Combining Gary’s extensive legal skills with his previous financial planning knowledge*, makes for a perfect combination of experience for helping clients navigate the complexities of tax, wills, aged care, estate matters, conveyancing and divorce. Tax law and aged care advice are of particular interest to Gary. 

Tax Law

Gary has over 21 years of experience, as an Executive Level officer, across a range of taxation audit, taxation objections and litigation, debt litigation, technical skilling, and policy development in the Australian Taxation Office (ATO).

Gary commenced his career with the ATO, in 2000, as part of the Northern NSW GST Management Team, responsible for the introduction and implementation of the New Tax System (GST). In this role he managed a team of tax advisers and GST auditors in the Lower and Upper Hunter Valley. He has held several technical, advisory and management roles, including Assistant Director Registrations, Senior Legal Officer in GST Review & Litigation and National Penalty Adviser.

Gary is a recipient of the ATO Senior Executive Award for performance excellence and continual professional development and academic achievement.

Qualifications

Gary has over 30 years’ experience across legal administration, law interpretation, dispute resolution, financial planning and business management.

• He holds a Master of Applied Law (Commercial Litigation) from the College of Law; a Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Legal & Justice Studies from Southern Cross University; the Diploma of Financial Planning from Deakin University; the Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice from the College of Law; and is a Graduate of the ATO Compliance Officer’s Applied Audit Program (COAAP) from the University of NSW.
• Gary was admitted as solicitor in 2011 and has held a Practicing Certificate as a Government Legal Practitioner for 10 years. He now holds a current Practicing Certificate as a Principle of a Law Practice.
• In 2015, in recognition of academic achievement at Masters Degree level, Gary was admitted as a Graduate Fellow of the College of Law.
• He is a member of the Law Society of NSW and the Hunter Valley Law Society.

Personal Life

Gary has been married for over 39 years and has three adult children. He spends his weekends catching up with family and renovating.

Gary also holds an aircraft Pilot License with a Class 4 Instrument Rating. He flies light aircraft and has an endorsement to fly the DH 82 vintage Tiger Moth.

*Financial planning advice provided by Elliot Watson Financial Planning.

If you’d like to ask Gary any questions please contact him by phone or email:

Phone: 02 4038 1623
Email: gary@watsonwealth.com.au