Tax

A long standing stoush over staff expenses between Bechtel and the Australian Taxation Office has made its way to the Federal Court, with the engineering and construction firm challenging a decision that funds spent flying workers out to the Curtis Island LNG site were not tax deductible.

A judge has cut the money owed to the lead applicant in a securities class action against the directors and auditors of laser technology company Arasor from a $19.25 million settlement after a failed attempt to "re-litigate" a dispute over almost $400,000 in GST refunds.

The Australian Taxation Office has come up short in its challenge to a decision that a sole trader was eligible for Jobkeeper despite a cancelled ABN, with the Full Federal Court saying the small businessman was entitled to the government COVID-19 handout.

Construction company Clough Limited has appealed a ruling that found it cannot claim over $15 million paid to employees for cancellation of their shares and options as a tax deduction.

The Australian Taxation Office has successfully appealed a Federal Court decision finding it could not recover an R&D tax offset refund of around $2.3 million paid to Auctus Resources despite the payment being made by mistake and the mining company admitting it was not entitled to the money.

The High Court has ruled that the tax office was not obliged to refund money for tax surpluses mistakenly issued under the GST Act, in a long-running legal dispute between the Commissioner of Taxation and foreign currency exchange Travelex.

Health care giant Healius has lost its application to the High Court to challenge a $60 million win for the Australian Taxation Office.

Carlton United Breweries has appealed a ruling ordering it to hand over almost 1,500 documents to the Commissioner of Taxation relating to an audit of the beer giant.

Construction company Clough Limited cannot claim over $15 million paid to employees for cancellation of their shares and options as a tax deduction, with a judge dismissing the Perth-based company’s appeal of a decision from the Commissioner of Taxation.

Big Six law firm MinterEllison has snagged a a former deputy commissioner of the Australian Taxation Office to strengthen its tax controversy team.