Big Wig Buys His Way Out of Tax Crimes, While ATO Whistleblower Is Criminally Prosecuted for Exposing Them
The close to a fortnight-old scandal relating to Mineral Resources boss Chris Ellison is continuing to develop, following the Australian Financial Review having run an 18 October article exposing one of the nation’s richest people as having established a series...
The Laws, Defences and Penalties for Failing to Lodge a Tax Return in Australia
A Queensland lawyer who charged with five tax offences involving 105 breaches of taxation legislation has been suspended from practising law until 27 February 2026. The Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal published a judgment on 18 September 2024 which found...
Fraud Offences in Australia
The term fraud generally refers to conduct whereby a person or company gains a benefit for themselves or causes a detriment to another person or company through conduct that is dishonest and/or deceptive. In the context of the Australian criminal...
Social Media Influencers Under Investigation for Fraud
Australia’s securities regulator, the Australian Securities and Investment Commission, or ASIC, is investigating more than 100 ‘influential’ social media accounts over reports of misleading and false advertising that has cost those who buy in millions, and could amount to the...
ATO Investigates 40,000 Aussies Over Alleged Tax Fraud Scheme
The ATO has more than 40,000 Australians in its sights, as it begins investigating what it says is a fraudulent scheme that’s cost the community around $850 million. Individuals warned they are responsible for their conduct The scheme, promoted through...
The Offence of Conspiracy to Defraud the Commonwealth
It’s a trial with all the hallmarks of a great blockbuster movie. Two siblings, Adam and Lauren Cranston, whose father is the former deputy commissioner of the Australian Taxation Office (ATO), along with lawyer Dev Menon and referrer Jay Onley,...
The Offence of Tax Fraud in Australia
A Sydney businessman has been sentenced to seven years and six months behind bars, with a minimum term of five years, for his role in one of Australia’s largest even tax fraud schemes. 37-year old Simon Anquetil is the founder...
Google to Pay Nearly Half a Billion Dollars in Australian Tax
Hot on the heels of news published earlier this month that multi-nationals are still paying little to no tax here in Australia, one of the world’s most well-known corporate juggernauts has announced it has reached a settlement with the ATO...
Foreign-Owned Companies Avoid Billions in Tax
As thousands of Australians wonder how they’ll put food on the table this Christmas, the Australian Tax Office (ATO) has released figures which (again) show that many large companies have avoided paying tax in recent years. Despite many individuals being...
What are the Penalties for Tax Fraud in Australia?
A sister and brother have been ordered to pay a total of more than $2.3 million in taxes, administrative costs and interest after a court found that ‘thou shall not pay tax’ is not only absent from the Bible, but...