The emails that almost destroyed PwC Australia
Insiders thought it was a “joke” for PwC to both advise the government on tax reform while helping clients exploit those reforms. One meeting sent the Tax Office over the edge.
Peter Collins, left, and Tom Seymour.
Mark Konza was getting increasingly angry. The Tax Office’s then head of international was at PwC’s Sydney office. It was August 29, 2016. Three PwC partners, Paul McNab, Michael Bersten and Helen Fazzino, had spent the last hour explaining a new tax structure the firm had developed for ride-share giant Uber. McNab was coming to his point.
His conclusion was the structure was not caught by new tax laws that aimed to force the local divisions of global tech giants, like Uber, to restructure so they paid more tax in Australia. The laws had only started eight months earlier.
Subscribe to gift this article
Gift 5 articles to anyone you choose each month when you subscribe.
Subscribe nowAlready a subscriber?
Introducing your Newsfeed
Follow the topics, people and companies that matter to you.
Find out moreRead More
Latest In Professional services
Fetching latest articles