Tax

A former Greenwoods & Herbert Smith Freehills partner wants the Full Court to decide whether whistleblower protections apply retrospectively in a $13 million suit alleging he was sacked for complaining about the tax avoidance strategy of construction giant Lendlease.

A judge has ordered that part of a decision by the Australian Taxation Office over three alleged schemes by Liberty Financial to obtain tax benefits be set aside, rejecting arguments that the corporate group’s operations were “artificial or contrived”.

The Australian unit of Mylan is challenging the ATO's rejection of a $48 million deduction  for 2020 in the generic drug company's latest spat with the tax office over interest on loans to fund its $1.2 billion acquisition of generic drug maker Alphapharm.

The protective scope of whistleblower laws will be tested in a $13 million suit brought by a former Greenwoods & Herbert Smith Freehills partner allegedly sacked for complaining about the tax avoidance strategy of construction giant Lendlease, the advisory firm's biggest client.

A judge has cautioned senior barrister Sue Chrysanthou over her colourful description of a 60 Minutes episode at the heart of Euro Pacific Bank boss Peter Schiff’s defamation case against Nine, urging the silk to "be careful".

A former Greenwoods & Freehills partner will argue he is entitled to whistleblower protection in his lawsuit against the tax advisory firm and Lendlease, alleging he was forced to leave after refusing to put his name to a tax return and making protected disclosures.

Mining company Kupang Resources has asked the High Court to weigh in on its bid for tax office documents as it litigates to recoup millions of dollars allegedly embezzled by the company's former shadow director.

In one of the biggest tax payouts in Australian history, mining giant Rio Tinto will pay close to $1 billion to settle all disputes with the Australian Taxation Office.

Jan Cameron, founder of Kathmandu and former director of baby food company Bellamy's, has abandoned her lawsuit alleging a Caribbean Islands-based trust didn't owe capital gains tax on the 2018 sale of 2.5 million Bellamy's shares.

The Australian Taxation Office has finalised its protocol for dealing with claims of legal professional privilege, developed in response to large companies asserting "reckless" privilege claims which the ATO says obstruct its investigations.