Twelve Australian Tax Office officials sacked over access to private info, tax boss reveals

TAX office boss Chris Jordan has revealed 12 employees were fired for unauthorised access to private data, saying officials targeted some celebrities.

TWELVE Australian Tax Office staff have been fired for unauthorised access to members of the publics’ tax information, while another three are being investigated over the Plutus payroll scandal.

Senior tax office officials revealed at a Senate estimates hearing in Canberra today that up to 30 staff had been found to have accessed members of the public’s private data — including celebrities — so far this year.

Twelve of those staff had been sacked while the remainder had faced lesser penalties.

Commissioner of Taxation Chris Jordan assured senators at the hearing that the tax office took the matter seriously.

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Taxation Commissioner Chris Jordan has revealed 12 ATO staff have been fired. Picture: Kym Smith

The tax office was also reviewing whether its policies, practices and procedures needed to be strengthened in the wake of the Plutus payroll scandal.

“We are keenly aware that the community must have full trust in us — in our integrity, objectivity and expertise — we cannot do our job effectively without this,” Mr Jordan said.

“When confidence in us is jeopardised, it can impact negatively on taxpayers and the tax system, and I will do everything in my power to eliminate the risk of that happening.”

Plutus is the company at the centre of one of Australia’s biggest suspected white-collar crimes.

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One Nation Senator Pauline Hanson and Labor Senator Sam Dastyari are also involved in the hearing. Picture: Kym Smith

Ten people have so far been charged in relation to the alleged fraud, including Adam and Laura Cranston, the children of Australian Taxation Office deputy commissioner Michael Cranston.

Commissioner Jordan said today three senior executive service officers were under investigation for their suspected part in the fraud.

The officers could be fired or demoted if they are found to have been involved in the scandal, he said.

Commissioner Jordan said Cranston had made a “huge error of judgment” in talking to his son about the Plutus matter.

The tax office has identified more than 200 entities believed to be involved in the scam and tax evasion totalling more than $130 million.

So far the tax office has recouped almost a third of the unpaid taxes through measures including freezing accounts.

An Australian Federal Police officer displays some of the cash found after they smashed a massive fraud syndicate. Picture: AFP

Mr Jordan also emphasised that deputy commissioner Cranston was not suspected of taking part in the Plutus syndicate scam.

Finance Minister Mathias Cormann told the hearing the Australian Federal Police had advised the government that it appeared that there was “very isolated involvement” in the Plutus payroll matter.

Senator Cormann said the alleged tax fraud was “very serious” but the government did not believe there was a need to take any further steps than the AFP and ATO investigations that were currently underway.

Originally published as Twelve Australian Tax Office officials sacked over access to private info, tax boss reveals