Tax

PricewaterhouseCoopers' former head of international tax Peter-John Collins has been banned by the corporate regulator from providing financial services for eight years.

A judge has rejected a bid by WA businessman and former Perth Glory owner Antony Sage to uncover external legal advice provided to the tax office in a dispute over an audit that went to the AAT, finding that reliance by the Tribunal on the material could endanger its independence.

Government should shift away from using large professional services firms for advisory work and retain barristers to help avoid conflicts, increase accountability and ensure value for money, the Victorian Bar has told an inquiry.

The Commissioner of Taxation is pursuing a former Big Four partner for allegedly promoting tax exploitation schemes for clients. But a fight has broken out in court over whether his identity -- and the name of the accounting firm -- should be suppressed.

A retired law firm partner has taken his battle with the ATO to the High Court, arguing he is not liable to be taxed on $182,000 in goodwill payments he received on exiting the firm's partnership in 2008. 

A former Greenwoods & Herbert Smith Freehills partner who claims he was sacked for complaining about Lendlease's attempts to avoid tax liability has asked the High Court to overrule a judgment finding recent changes to whistleblower protections do not apply retrospectively to cover his claims.

An independent investigation commenced in the wake of PwC's tax leaks scandal has taken the firm to task for its “whatever it takes” growth strategy and “overly collegial” culture, which discouraged constructive criticism.

The Full Court has dealt a blow to a sacked Greenwoods & Herbert Smith Freehills partner seeking $13 million in compensation from his former firm and Lendlease, finding new whistleblower protections do not apply retrospectively to cover his claims.

The son of former ATO deputy commissioner Michael Cranston has been jailed for a minimum 10 years for his leading role in a $105 million tax evasion scheme.

A PricewaterhouseCoopers partner has won his lawsuit against the professional services firm over his forced dismissal, with a judge finding the decision breached a partnership agreement and that the firm had acknowledged the partner did not misuse confidential ATO information.