The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) has marked the first anniversary of the international Joint Chiefs of Global Tax Enforcement (J5) project by declaring it busy in its first year and already showing signs of making a difference.
Deputy Taxation Commissioner Will Day said the J5 included the heads of tax crime and senior officials from the ATO and the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission; the Canada Revenue Agency; Dutch Fiscal Intelligence and Investigation Service; Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs from the United Kingdom; and the United States Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation.
Mr Day said J5 had been focusing on shared areas of concern and cross-national tax crime threats including cyber-crime and crypto-currency, as well as enablers of global tax evasion, while working to share intelligence and data in near real time.
He said the J5 had already been involved in more than 50 investigations involving sophisticated international enablers of tax evasion.
“These included a global financial institution and its intermediaries who facilitated taxpayers to hide their income and assets,” Mr Day said.
“These highly harmful, high-end enablers of tax evasion were previously thought to be beyond the reach of the member countries.”
He said the member Agencies were also cooperating on cases covering crimes from money laundering and the smuggling of illicit commodities to personal tax frauds and evasion.
“I’m pleased with the progress the J5 has made on several significant joint investigations since its establishment last year,” Mr Day said.
“The collective intelligence available through the J5 is instrumental in enabling us to tackle serious and organised financial crime threats located in both Australia and offshore.”
