Under-rested and bleary-eyed, despite a hefty dose of black coffee on the train to the city, Risk was only a few minutes late for a 7:15am breakfast on perhaps the one thing almost certain to put anyone back to sleep at that hour – tax. Stumbling up to registration and pinning nametag to breast, even the registration staff seemed nonplussed. “It’s a bit early in the morning for tax, isn’t it?” Indeed.

Not to be perturbed, after a couple of sausages, eggs, a dash of mingling and some more coffee, Risk was wide awake and ready to see what the tax world had to offer at such an early hour.

Behind the podium, in front of a room full of company directors at the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD) (who all looked far more sprightly and in the mood for tax at 7am than Risk) was the Commissioner of Taxation himself, Michael D’Ascenzo – obviously never too early for tax for him either.

What followed was an exercise in the dangling of tax carrot. There was talk of partnering with business, shared interests, measures of certainty – enough to give Risk a warm and fuzzy feeling for a moment - before realising that it was still only 7:30am. There was a grumble from a journalist at the table. “Tax Commissioner asks company directors to pay their taxes – surprise”. Surprise, surprise indeed. Did Risk really get out of bed at 5:30am for this?

Then, a question from the floor. Just that morning, the ATO had made the front page of the papers – and not for holding hands with directors. In fact, it had had its powers to break their doors down if necessary approved. Suddenly, the room was awake, along with Risk - it had been all the excuse D’Ascenzo needed to bring out the stick. Suddenly the talk coming from the lectern was about access powers, raids, and faceless ATO officers on the loose, ready to turn up and stop the shredders at the most unlikely, and inconvenient of times. The directors in the room, apparently lulled by D’Ascenzo’s earlier platitudes, looked somewhat heartbroken.

It had all the drama of Hollywood. Maybe there was some excitement to this tax issue after all.

Nevertheless, Risk will be putting in a request for a slightly more palatable hour of the day next time around.