Plymouth Brethren Christian Church linked business network, UBT, repays millions to ATO

The company linked to the secretive Plymouth Brethren Christian Church has made a voluntary payment of several million dollars to the ATO after a major raid last year.

The raids in March 2024 targeted UBT’s head office at “The Precinct”, in Sydney Olympic Park.

The business network linked to the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church has agreed to make a payment of several million dollars to the Australian Taxation Office (ATO).

The significant “voluntary disclosure” follows a major raid last year on the offices of the Universal Business Team (UBT) and some of the Brethren’s charities and its global school headquarters.

Boasting annual revenue of $200m in Australia, UBT is the umbrella company for thousands of Brethren-owned businesses, offering them “advice, coaching and training programs”.

It also offers a web filtering software which Brethren church members use on their devices.

UBT has previously told this masthead all of its profits were “invested into education, charities and other not-for-profit organisations”.

Inside the exclusive Plymouth Brethren Christian Church (PBCC). at Ermington. Picture: Supplied

The Daily Telegraph has seen recent correspondence from the ATO where it confirms it would accept a “voluntary disclosure” from UBT relating to income and Fringe Benefits Tax “issues” between the 2021 and 2024 financial years.

In general terms, the ATO will apply a reduction in penalties and interest charges if a company offers to make a “voluntary disclosure”.

When approached for comment, a spokeswoman for UBT told this masthead “a payment of several million dollars has been made to the ATO as part of a voluntary disclosure made by UBT to close the FBT and salary splitting matters off.”

The headquarters of the Universal Business Team and other Brethren-linked organisations at Sydney Olympic Park. Picture: Thomas Lisson

The raids in March last year targeted UBT’s head office at “The Precinct” in Sydney Olympic Park.

Such action by the ATO occurs in exceptional circumstances.

The tax unit overseeing these inquiries, which are now 20 months old, is known as the Wealth Program, which is typically focused on “complex and opaque business structures”.

Stationed inside the same “The Precinct” office address where UBT operates are no fewer than eight registered charities, each with current Brethren church members on their boards.

Financial documents reveal the eight organisations had combined net assets totalling $240 million at the end of the 2024 financial year.

The Brethren’s current church at Ermington. Picture: Rohan Kelly

The Brethren’s OneSchool Global, which has a Sydney campus at Oatlands, received $76 million worth of donations in the past two years.

The Brethren have also commenced plans for a new $100 million church at Rydalmere.

UBT told this masthead: “We thank the ATO for its fairness throughout this process and acknowledge the important work it does to ensure a robust and healthy taxation system.”

“We are working in a similarly transparent and cooperative way with the ATO on two other matters that are ongoing,” the spokeswoman said.

The ATO declined to comment due to their “obligations under taxpayer confidentiality laws”.

The Telegraph recently featured an investigation into the Brethren.

The church boasts just 16,000 Australian members and holds strict Christian beliefs, including “fellowship”, where they do not eat or drink with members of the wider community.

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Originally published as Plymouth Brethren Christian Church linked business network, UBT, repays millions to ATO