This Month
Business whacked by multinational tax crackdown
Treasurer Jim Chalmers has challenged the opposition to support Labor’s latest changes for big business, despite claims the consultation has been bungled.
- Tom McIlroy
November
Pepsi loses ATO challenge on tax for Schweppes payments
The Tax Office has won a challenge by PepsiCo over assessments that it owed royalty taxes for deals it orchestrated between Singapore and Australian subsidiaries for beverage concentrate and branding rights.
- Max Mason
‘Not a bank’: Tax Office ramps up debt warning
ATO commissioner Chris Jordan says companies and individuals not paying tax and super obligations will face consequences.
- Tom McIlroy
Tax Office scraps robo-debt style push on repayments
Officials conceded they caused unnecessary distress in pursuing historical debts from tens of thousands of taxpayers.
- Tom McIlroy
ATO warns small business to stop using tax to ‘prop up’ cash flow
Operators are increasingly using unpaid tax and superannuation liabilities to support their cash flow, attracting growing scrutiny from the Tax Office.
- Tom McIlroy
Mark Carnegie reveals the tax tourist within
The philanthropist, who reckons the rich should pay more tax, has taken his ex-wife to court to take advantage of a Kiwi tax holiday.
- Myriam Robin
EY admits staffer drafted papers for alleged tax exploitation partner
EY Australia has admitted a staff member helped draft documents for a former partner who allegedly promoted tax exploitation schemes, but the firm says the person was acting on instructions and has not been disciplined.
- Max Mason and Neil Chenoweth
Bookkeeper who bought plane, cars, property for tax fraudster guilty
Christopher Guillan spent $2.5 million of the Plutus tax fraud to buy 19 vehicles for Adam Cranston, including Porsches, race cars, a plane, motorbikes and a boat.
- David Marin-Guzman
October
Audits reap nearly $8b for the Tax Office
Workers paid a total of about $730 billion in income tax last financial year and got $154 billion back in refunds, new data from the ATO shows.
- Tom McIlroy
- Exclusive
- Big four accountants
Big four ex-partner claims colleagues helped in tax exploitation scheme
The former partner, whose name is being suppressed along with that of the firm, hopes to file a limited defence to avoid incriminating himself.
- Max Mason and Neil Chenoweth
Developers face uncertainty on thin capitalisation rules
The federal government’s proposed laws to crack down on excessive tax deductions are not fit for purpose, industry figures and independent MPs warn.
- Michael Bleby
- Exclusive
- Consulting
Big four partner alleged to have promoted tax exploitation scheme
A former partner at a major accounting firm is facing significant fines for allegedly promoting tax avoidance schemes to seven clients.
- Max Mason and Neil Chenoweth
- Opinion
- PwC tax scandal
PwC chiefs play pass the parcel
Kevin Burrowes, the new chief executive PwC Australia sent in to fix the firm’s tax leak scandal, has a terminal case of resting bulldog face.
- Neil Chenoweth
Labor pushes ahead with $3m superannuation tax
The government will release draft legislation today on its plan to crack down on tax concessions for big balance accounts.
- Hannah Wootton
September
Tax promoter penalties take aim at big four partners
Tax promoter penalties will be less than the $780 million previously flagged, but partners could still face nine-figure payouts.
- Neil Chenoweth
Government reveals details of tax sector crackdown after scandal
The Albanese government is moving quickly on penalties and secrecy laws in response to the big four firm’s confidentiality breaches, but is taking it slow on reviews for legal privilege and tax office powers.
- Neil Chenoweth
Accountant caught backdating documents in $20m tax fraud
The Federal Court has rejected Gerry Incollingo’s appeal against his six-month suspension by the Tax Practitioners Board.
- Neil Chenoweth
- Exclusive
- Tobacco
Billions in taxes being lost as illegal tobacco booms
Australian Border Force has confiscated just under a billion illegal cigarettes worth nearly $1.1 billion in forgone tax over the past two years.
- Ronald Mizen
August
Taxman’s son sentenced to 15 years for Plutus fraud
The architect of the $106 million Plutus payroll scam used his knowledge of how ATO operates to evade detection, a judge has found.
- Neil Chenoweth
How a $4.6b fraud wave unfolded, and nine other great reads for the weekend
Welcome to the weekend. To start off your day, we’ve curated 10 great reads to enjoy.
