This Month
- Opinion
- Opinion
ATO warnings will send shivers down the spines of private companies
The ATO has released its first two taxpayer alerts for the 2024 calendar year. Each a warning to private groups.
- Mark Molesworth
- Opinion
- Chanticleer
PwC client Perpetual now the ATO’s crash test dummy
It would be funny if it weren’t for Perpetual’s succession of own goals that have already turned it into an Australian funds management laughing stock.
- Anthony Macdonald
Construction boss jailed over ‘rape and pillage’ fraud
Organised crime figure George Alex also had help in claiming millions of dollars of debts from an unnamed CFMEU official, a NSW Supreme Court judge said.
- David Marin-Guzman
- Exclusive
- Andrew Leigh
Secret shareholder register overhauled amid privacy fears
A plan to expose the secret beneficial owners of three million unlisted companies and trusts has been overhauled due to fears of identity theft and cybercrime.
- Ronald Mizen
- Exclusive
- Tax disputes
The football club boss, drug-dealing director and $100m scam
A liquidator claims crane company boss Damon Hanlin may have controlled a tax fraud scheme that involved shadow directors and dishonest dealings.
- David Marin-Guzman
November
Inside Chris Ellison’s brutal executive meetings
A whistleblower claims the Mineral Resources founder ordered a female lawyer to stand in front of a meeting and say, “I am a f--ing idiot”. He told another she “just needs a good f--k”.
- Neil Chenoweth
- Exclusive
- Property market
Why buying and selling a home is about to cost $1200 more
Amid Australia’s growing housing crisis, a new crackdown on money laundering is expected to add significant extra costs to property transactions.
- Tom McIlroy
Meet Chris Ellison’s personal accountant
Yenna Ong, the number cruncher who managed the Mineral Resources founder’s private affairs, rapidly gained great power. Then just as suddenly, she was gone.
- Neil Chenoweth
Future Fund questions MinRes’ handling of Ellison claims
The comments from the sovereign wealth fund came after influential proxy advisers said directors needed to be more accountable for the governance failure.
- Updated
- Peter Ker
October
Tax fraudsters’ loot of jewels, watches up for sale to reclaim cash
Diamond rings and bracelets, luxury watches and designer handbags have been revealed as part of the extravagant spend behind one of the country’s biggest tax frauds.
- David Marin-Guzman
MinRes expands probe into alleged tax dodge to address ‘inconsistencies’
The West Australian mining company will on November 4 report on its inquiry into allegations that its billionaire founder Chris Ellison ran a tax evasion racket.
- Elouise Fowler and Hannah Wootton
- Exclusive
- New Zealand
How Chris Ellison’s secrets came to light
Allegations of serial tax evasion have raised questions about how the miner Mineral Resources is being run.
- Neil Chenoweth
AustralianSuper sells down MinRes stake as board reels from scandal
The sale, disclosed after the market closed on Friday, takes the $340 billion industry fund below the substantial shareholder level.
- Hannah Wootton
- Exclusive
- Mining
MinRes sold Chris Ellison farm equipment at steep discount
The company’s managing director and another director, Tim Roberts, bought the machinery for their New Zealand property at a bargain price, documents show.
- Mark Di Stefano and Neil Chenoweth
ASIC confirms probe into MinRes’ decade-long ‘tax dodge’
The regulator is taking a closer look at Mineral Resources after allegations chief executive Chris Ellison ran a scheme through the British Virgin Islands.
- Elouise Fowler and James Eyers
- Exclusive
- Hotels
Virtical pub group’s alleged tax scam bill could top $50m
Leaked ATO audits reveal what could be one of the most brazen alleged tax scams in corporate history.
- David Marin-Guzman and Max Mason
- Opinion
- Mining
MinRes scandal an acute credibility test for Justin Langer
The Chris Ellison-led miner has collected some big names – from the former cricketer to strategic adviser Julie Bishop. Are they merely celebrity figurines?
- Peter Ker
- Analysis
- Analysis
When did the MinRes board learn of Chris Ellison’s offshore scandal?
Directors of the major mining group should answer two core questions: when did they find out about it, and why didn’t they tell shareholders?
- Neil Chenoweth
- Opinion
- Chanticleer
ASIC eyes Mineral Resources as Ellison circles the wagons
The regulator is now taking an active interest in the crisis engulfing the miner. But major investors have been reassured by the company’s explanations.
- James Thomson
- Exclusive
- Mineral Resources
MinRes scheme enriched execs, allegedly at investors’ expense
Peter Wade failed to disclose his interest in Chris Ellison’s tax evasion scheme, which cost shareholders more than $7 million.
- Neil Chenoweth