Tax Commissioner Chris Jordan accused the Tax Practitioners Board of “serious overreach” and pressured the agency to stop investigating 26 tech companies as part of its probe of the PwC tax leaks.

Mr Jordan called the actions of the board, which regulates the country’s 65,000 tax agents, “extraordinary”, “highly inappropriate”, evidence of “active deception” and “deliberate disregard” for the Tax Office’s position, and a “matter of utmost seriousness and concern”.