A proposal to address the impact of fraudulent phoenix activities on unremitted superannuation guarantee contributions in Australia

Phoenix activity involves the ‘deliberate, systematic, liquidation of a company to avoid the payment of liabilities, including employees’ wages, superannuation, outstanding taxes and business creditors. The company then ‘rises from the ashes’ conducting the same business free from all debts under a...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Giardina, A., Pinto, Dale
Format: Journal Article
Published: CCH Australia Limited, Monash University 2014
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/18432
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author Giardina, A.
Pinto, Dale
author_facet Giardina, A.
Pinto, Dale
author_sort Giardina, A.
building Curtin Institutional Repository
collection Online Access
description Phoenix activity involves the ‘deliberate, systematic, liquidation of a company to avoid the payment of liabilities, including employees’ wages, superannuation, outstanding taxes and business creditors. The company then ‘rises from the ashes’ conducting the same business free from all debts under a new or similar identity. Fraudulent phoenix activity typically occurs when individuals use limited liability companies to accumulate debts that are usually owed to the Australian Taxation Office (ATO), then liquidate the companies concerned and then carry on the same business through a newly formed company. The effect is that in almost all cases the companies placed into liquidation, have no assets. Fraudulent phoenix like activity isn’t a new phenomenon and was associated with the ‘bottom of the harbour’ tax avoidance schemes prevalent in Australia during the 1970s. The Victorian Parliament Law Reform Committee (VPLRC) tabled a report in 1994 which had several recommendations dealing with and detecting phoenix activity. This report was the catalyst for the ATO to launch the ‘Phoenix Project’ in 1998, with a focus of tracking companies involved in fraudulent phoenix activity.
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spelling curtin-20.500.11937-184322017-01-30T12:07:47Z A proposal to address the impact of fraudulent phoenix activities on unremitted superannuation guarantee contributions in Australia Giardina, A. Pinto, Dale Phoenix activity involves the ‘deliberate, systematic, liquidation of a company to avoid the payment of liabilities, including employees’ wages, superannuation, outstanding taxes and business creditors. The company then ‘rises from the ashes’ conducting the same business free from all debts under a new or similar identity. Fraudulent phoenix activity typically occurs when individuals use limited liability companies to accumulate debts that are usually owed to the Australian Taxation Office (ATO), then liquidate the companies concerned and then carry on the same business through a newly formed company. The effect is that in almost all cases the companies placed into liquidation, have no assets. Fraudulent phoenix like activity isn’t a new phenomenon and was associated with the ‘bottom of the harbour’ tax avoidance schemes prevalent in Australia during the 1970s. The Victorian Parliament Law Reform Committee (VPLRC) tabled a report in 1994 which had several recommendations dealing with and detecting phoenix activity. This report was the catalyst for the ATO to launch the ‘Phoenix Project’ in 1998, with a focus of tracking companies involved in fraudulent phoenix activity. 2014 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/18432 CCH Australia Limited, Monash University restricted
spellingShingle Giardina, A.
Pinto, Dale
A proposal to address the impact of fraudulent phoenix activities on unremitted superannuation guarantee contributions in Australia
title A proposal to address the impact of fraudulent phoenix activities on unremitted superannuation guarantee contributions in Australia
title_full A proposal to address the impact of fraudulent phoenix activities on unremitted superannuation guarantee contributions in Australia
title_fullStr A proposal to address the impact of fraudulent phoenix activities on unremitted superannuation guarantee contributions in Australia
title_full_unstemmed A proposal to address the impact of fraudulent phoenix activities on unremitted superannuation guarantee contributions in Australia
title_short A proposal to address the impact of fraudulent phoenix activities on unremitted superannuation guarantee contributions in Australia
title_sort proposal to address the impact of fraudulent phoenix activities on unremitted superannuation guarantee contributions in australia
url http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/18432