The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) has launched investigations into at least 150 of its officials following a crackdown on a Goods and Services Tax (GST) fraud scheme which led to several employment terminations and criminal proceedings.
This comes in the wake of a report by auditor-general Grant Hehir highlighting the ATO's management and oversight of fraud control arrangements for GST, which revealed the extent of the so-called ‘TikTok GST scandal’.
Bogus GST refunds
The scandal involved the illegal payment of at least A$2 billion in bogus refunds to individuals who had created sham businesses to claim false GST.
An operation, named Operation Protego, was a response to a large-scale fraud scheme initially detected in December 2021, which gained notoriety for being promoted on social media platforms, notably TikTok, allowing it to reach a wide audience.
The ATO's efforts to combat this fraud included reallocating about 470 staff to focus on Operation Protego and issuing public warnings against participation in the fraudulent activity.
Despite these measures, the report from the auditor general pointed out gaps in the ATO's systems for detecting and responding to GST fraud, noting the lack of procedures for handling large-scale fraud events.
Of the ATO officials investigated, the majority were identified as former contractors or employees no longer with the agency at the time of their suspected involvement.
Small number of ATO officials
But a small number, 12 in total, were found to have committed fraud while employed at the ATO and have faced contract terminations, administrative actions and criminal prosecutions.
The auditor general's report revealed that more than 57,000 individuals have been implicated in GST fraud, resulting in more than 100 arrests and 16 convictions to date.
The ATO has managed to recover A$123 million of the stolen funds, with penalties exceeding the A$120 million issued and continuing efforts to recoup the substantial financial losses incurred.
In response to the findings and recommendations of the Australian National Audit Office (ANAO), the ATO has committed to enhancing its fraud control arrangements for GST.
This includes continuous efforts to protect its systems and the broader tax ecosystem from fraud, with the Serious Financial Crime Taskforce playing a crucial role in these initiatives.