Project Wickenby, launched 8 years ago, is a cross-agency taskforce designed to tackle tax evasion and avoidance with a particular focus on (but not limited to) secrecy juridictions. Whilst its operations are still ongoing, the ATO has recently published some detailed figures of its results.
Project Wickenby is led by the ATO and consists of 7 other government agencies:
- Australian Crime Commission
- Australian Federal Police
- Australian Securities and Investments Commission
- Attorney-General’s Department
- Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre
- Australian Government Solicitor
- Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions
The figures at 31 August 2014:
- Over $1.991 billion in tax liabilities raised (i.e. issued to taxpayers)
- Audits and reviews in progress: 232
- Audits and reviews completed: 4,343
- People charged with criminal offences: 76
- People convicted of criminal offences: 44
- In addition to the 44 convictions, a further 69 people have been prosecuted for summary offences – which can attract penalties of imprisonment of less than 12 months – with the majority involving outstanding tax return lodgements
- Cash collections: $502m (the ATO has included $346m of tax collected from people investigated under Wickenby, plus other smaller items, in its $851.76m total figure. However whether this basis of measurement is a true reflection of the project is arguable).
In addition to the above, the government hopes the project to deliver the following benefits:
- increased tax collections from improved compliance behaviour from those investigated by the task force
- sending strong deterrent messages to taxpayers as a whole
- countering promoters and participants in tax schemes that involve the abusive use of secrecy jurisdictions.
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