ATO whistleblower Richard Boyle plans to plead not guilty to 66 charges at next court hearing

A debt collector who revealed aggressive tactics allegedly used by the ATO will plead not guilty to 66 charges.

• Debt collector faces decades in jail for whistleblowing
• ATO whistleblower Richard Boyle breaks his silence

A whistleblower who raised concerns about heavy-handed debt collection tactics at the Australian Taxation Office will plead not guilty to 66 charges, a court has heard.

Lawyers for Richard David Boyle, 43, of Edwardstown told the Adelaide Magistrates Court on Tuesday that he would be pleading not guilty to all charges at his next court appearance in July, when he must formally enter pleas.

The 66 charges — which could amount to a maximum prison term of 161 years if he is found guilty at trial — include multiple counts of using a listening device to monitor a private conversation and disclosing protected information.

Richard Boyle outside the Adelaide Magistrates Court, where he said he would plead not guilty to all charges. Picture: AAP / Sam Wundke

Boyle took part in a joint ABC-Fairfax investigation last year that revealed ATO staff had been instructed to use aggressive debt collection tactics on indebted individuals and small businesses.

He said those tactics included the use of orders requiring a bank to seize money from accounts without first notifying the taxpayer, or considering their circumstances.

Boyle, who married his long-term partner Louise Beaston at the State Library at the weekend, has described the past year as hellish.

He told ABC’s 7.30 this week that he had been “in a state of anxiety and wondering” since ATO and Australian Federal Police officers raided his home in April last year and seized his laptop and phone.

He said he had lost his job, had a breakdown, suffered chronic insomnia and endured a series of stress-related heart issues.

In court, Boyle was required to enter into a formal bail agreement. The matter returns to court in late July. He did not comment outside court.

Originally published as ATO whistleblower Richard Boyle plans to plead not guilty to 66 charges at next court hearing