ATO Reassures Staff After Queensland Findings
The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) has sought to reassure its investigations staff after a series of scathing findings against the agency in a Queensland Supreme Court case.
The court handed down a decision in the case of The King vs Julie Clarke, where Justice Paul Smith stayed a prosecution mounted by the ATO due to misconduct by an ATO officer in gathering evidence.
The decision publicly identifies several ATO officers, although their names have not been released as the ATO may still appeal the matter.
- The prosecution, which dated back to 2019, was brought against a therapeutics entrepreneur for allegedly inflating research costs.
- The ATO's fraud squad has been told to improve its practices after the decade-long prosecution revealed plenty of problems.
Author's summary: ATO reassures staff after court finds misconduct.