The head of Queen Elizabeth II is seen on a five (5) Australian Dollar (A$) note in Canberra, Thursday, December 16, 2021. Source: AAP Image/Lukas Coch
Some 150 Australian Taxation Office (ATO) officials have been investigated as part of a massive GST fraud crackdown, resulting in criminal proceedings and employment terminations, according to a bombshell report from the Auditor-General.
In the final paragraphs of a 75-page report, the Auditor-General on Tuesday revealed that officials working for the ATO found themselves within the crosshairs of Operation Protego — the response to a tax fraud scandal that resulted in the payment of at least $2 billion in bogus GST refunds.
The ATO confirmed to the Australian National Audit Office that, as of October 2023, 150 ATO-related officials “suspected of Operation Protego behaviours” have been investigated through the tax office’s own internal fraud procedures.
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