Tax

Law firm DLA Piper has boosted the ranks of its tax practice with the appointment of three partners, along with a team of five, from Clayton Utz.

Software giant Oracle has won its bid to stay a $252 million fight with ATO over royalties, with the Full Federal Court finding the cases would not provide guidance in 15 other software disputes about the operation of the royalty tax. 

An ex gratia payment under Queensland's tax laws is just what it means — one made by the state revenue office as a favour and not a legal obligation, a court has found in a loss for UK developer Avon.

A judge has refused to join the ATO as an interested party to a case over the receivership of investment platform Brite Advisors, after the receivers worried they could be on the hook for $75.4 million in capital gains tax. 

Ashurst has lured a senior tax partner from MinterEllison, a day after Corrs Chambers announced it has poached the global co-head of Ashurst's tax practice. 

The High Court has approved the imposition of additional land tax on non-residents and foreign-owned entities, finding that the Commonwealth government had the power to limit the application of international tax agreements.

Corrs Chambers Westgarth has added another impressive lateral to its growing tax practice, luring Ashurst's global co-head of tax.

Billabong founder Gordon Merchant has won the ear of the High Court in his fight over what the ATO claims was a "wash sale" of his 10 million shares in the retailer, but the justices have also agreed to hear the tax office's appeal.

A judge has ordered federal prosecutors to drop a criminal tax fraud case against a medical researcher, finding an ATO officer lied and tampered with evidence during the probe.

A judge has clarified a warning he made to refer lawyers for Alvarez & Marsal to the legal watchdog after hearing of the hefty costs of complying with discovery orders won by rival EY, saying the threat wasn't directed at counsel.