Tax crime investigations and results

Tax crime investigations and results

Our tax and superannuation systems are two of Australia's most important community assets - they provide the revenue and wealth that support our stable and law-abiding society. Australia generally has a strong culture of voluntary compliance. However, a small number of people still try to cheat the community and gain an unfair advantage by committing fraud or deliberately avoiding their tax and super obligations. We work with the government and the community to protect out tax and superannuation systems by deterring, detecting and dealing with anyone who has intentionally not complied with the law.

We ensure those people who are disengaged from the tax system and resistant to complying with their obligations face serious consequences for their behaviour, including prosecution.

We take all forms of tax crime and intentional non-compliance seriously. The seriousness of these offences is also being recognised through the sentences being handed down in the courts, examples of which are in our prosecution media releases below.

The tables below provide a summary of prosecutions for:

  • serious offences for fraud - which are investigated by the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) and prosecuted by the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions (CDPP)
  • summary offences under the Tax Administration Act - which are generally prosecuted by the ATO and include failing to lodge a tax return and providing false and misleading information to the ATO.

Serious fraud*

 

Cases

Convictions

Custodial sentences

Reparation orders
($m)

Court fines
($)

2012-13 **

45

45

35

2.2

27,554

2011-12

39

39

37

4.8

10,500

2010-11

62

60

53

17.0

7,500

2009-10

61

60

55

10.1

11,000

2008-09

60

56

42

11.2

14.3 million

2007-08

78

78

47

4.3

37,200

2006-07

108

106

64

3.8

63,000

* The serious fraud cases and convictions include Project Wickenby-related cases.

** Current to 28 April 2013.

Summary offences*

 

Cases

Convictions

Dismissals and withdrawals

Fines
($m)

2012-13 **

1,515

1,347

168

5.27

2011-12

2,146

1,961

185

7.41

2010-11

1,747

1,518

229

7.51

2009-10

2,792

2,517

275

10.35

2008-09

3,253

2,912

341

10.85

2007-08

2,510

2,207

303

7.1

* The summary offence cases do not include multiple cases/convictions for the same individuals or companies.

** Current to 28 April 2013.

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Find out more about tax crime and how you can help to combat it.

For information about the types of cases that we refer for prosecution, refer to our Corporate Management Practice Statement.

Refer to our prosecutions media releases:

Last Modified: Monday, 20 May 2013


Our commitment to you

We are committed to providing you with accurate, consistent and clear information to help you understand your rights and entitlements and meet your obligations.

If you follow our information and it turns out to be incorrect, or it is misleading and you make a mistake as a result, we will take that into account when determining what action, if any, we should take.

Some of the information on this website applies to a specific financial year. This is clearly marked. Make sure you have the information for the right year before making decisions based on that information.

If you feel that our information does not fully cover your circumstances, or you are unsure how it applies to you, contact us or seek professional advice.

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