The Board Conduct Committee (BCC) found a tax agent had engaged in multiple, serious breaches of the Code of Professional Conduct (Code). They also ceased to meet the registration requirements to be a fit and proper person.

The tax agent breached:

• Code item 2 – when they failed to lodge income tax returns and business activity statements for a related entity over several years
• Code item 13 – as they did not hold professional indemnity insurance that meets the Board’s requirements
• Code item 14 – when they failed to respond to our request for information.

In addition to the Code breaches, the BCC also determined the agent ceased to be a fit and proper person as they: 

• made a false and misleading statement in a registration application
• engaged in criminal activities which resulted in a term of imprisonment
• were arrested and charged for serious drug offences 
• had shown they are not a person the Commissioner, clients and the public can have confidence in to perform the functions of a registered tax practitioner competently and with integrity.

Taking into consideration the seriousness of the conduct, the BCC terminated the tax agent registration and prohibited them from re-applying for a period of 5 years.