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Tax disputes

August

New ATO commissioner Rob Heferen.

This philosophy-quoting taxman is going old school

Six months into the job, Tax Commissioner Rob Heferen has put businesses and individuals on notice he’s coming after $50.2 billion in money owed to the government.

  • Tom McIlroy

May

Anthony Watson.

Lendlease tax whistleblower’s 12-year fight for vindication

Lendlease’s tax dispute could cost it at least $112m, but whistleblower Anthony Watson has lost his job, battled depression and is about to sell his family home.

  • John Kehoe

Lendlease tax woes could trigger second profit downgrade

John Wylie’s Tanarra Capital is pushing for a seat on the Lendlease board, as the country’s largest property group faces the prospect of a damaging profit downgrade after tax officials handed it a $112 million bill.

  • Updated
  • Michael Bleby, John Kehoe and Aaron Weinman

April

The fraudster diverted the money to a bank account they controlled.

ATO told scam victim he owed $46k tax refund sent to fraudster

The victim of the scam was told he had to repay the money paid out to someone who had stolen his identity online.

  • Tom McIlroy
Alcoa’s Bill Oplinger.

Alcoa vows to ‘listen better’ as it closes in on Alumina

Alcoa boss Bill Oplinger says permitting delays in Western Australia showed the US company needed to listen better, as he prepares to spend $4.6 billion buying more Australian assets.

  • Peter Ker
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March

The family property in Sydney’s Ingleside suburb owned by Alex Wu and Jina Chen, founder of Nature’s Care.

Street Talk triggered $207m freeze order; family ‘flight risk’

The rich Taiwanese-Australian family behind the Nature’s Care brand lied to the tax office about their income, court documents allege.

  • Aaron Patrick

February

Atlassian pays $92m tax bill after years of ATO talks

The software developer has struck a transfer pricing agreement with the Tax Office and has agreed to retain intellectual property in Australia that it will pay future tax on.

  • John Kehoe
The company’s least used benefits are its novated leases and employee assistance program.

Lendlease tax dispute exposes Aware Super

Superannuation fund Aware is set to become entangled in Lendlease’s $260 million dispute with the Tax Office over a portfolio of retirement village assets.

  • John Kehoe

Lendlease reveals liability risk from PwC-advised $260m tax scheme

Three years after it dismissed a Financial Review story on a potential tax liability as “speculative”, Lendlease has for the first time disclosed it in its results.

  • John Kehoe

December 2023

The big four consulting firms have been under the spotlight this year.

Big four partners face ‘career-ending’ fines in PwC fallout

The move is part of a broader multi-year suite of reforms being pursued by the government following the tax scandal which are designed to ward off similar conduct.

  • Ronald Mizen
Coca-Cola argues it did not receive a tax benefit.

Coke shifted $430m offshore which should have been taxed: ATO

The Tax Office alleges that by not charging for intellectual property, The Coca-Cola Company avoided paying more in local taxes.

  • Max Mason

November 2023

Pepsi lost its tax challenge with the ATO.

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
A report into EY’s workplace has uncovered problems across the firm.

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
The Coca-Cola company is in a battle with the ATO over tax on diverted offshore profits.

Coca-Cola fights ATO over $170m in offshore tax

The Tax Office alleges the beverage company’s profits were diverted offshore via favourable deals with its local affiliate for branding, trademarks and formulas.

  • Max Mason

October 2023

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
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The ATO case adds to increased spotlight on the big four following the PwC tax scandal.

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

August 2023

Tax Inspector General Karen Payne.

Battler for small business could be next ATO commissioner

The ATO should improve public guidance about rules for legal assistance in disputes with small-business operators, a new report has warned.

  • Tom McIlroy

‘Absolutely rampant’: How the ATO missed a $4.6b crime wave

Influencers on TikTok are being blamed for an explosion of fraudulent GST claims that banks and accountants say went unchallenged for years.

  • Neil Chenoweth
CBA says the ATO is forcing more small business insolvency as it chases about $30 billion in tax debt.

Aggressive ATO debt chase driving insolvency bump: CBA

“The ATO has now gone a lot harder in collecting [tax debts],” CBA business bank boss Michael Vacy-Lyle said.

  • Lucas Baird, Max Mason and James Eyers

June 2023

Mark Douglass’ client was former Nudie chief Andrew Binetter (pictured).

Top tax lawyer Mark Douglass bruised in Binetter judgment

The top tax lawyer wrote the first draft of letters later endorsed by the Israeli banks and sent to bamboozle the ATO.

  • Myriam Robin

Original URL: https://www.afr.com/topic/tax-disputes-1mr5