Media release: 8 March 2000
FRAUD AND TAX
The growing use of fraudulent documents and its impact on tax administration
will be under the spotlight again in Parliament.
The Australian Federal Police and the Health Insurance Commission will
be questioned on ways to improve the Tax File Number system and to reduce
identity fraud when the House Economics Committee holds its next TFN hearing
in Canberra on Thursday 9 March 2000.
Committee Chairman, Mr David Hawker MP, said 'The work of the AFP and
the HIC means that they are both in a position to assist with key issues
of this inquiry'.
'The AFP has the primary law enforcement responsibility for investigating
criminal offences against Commonwealth laws. In 1998-99, AFP investigations
uncovered cases involving false passports, birth certificates and drivers
licences that were all used to commit major crime against the Commonwealth.
Their taxation investigations also revealed millions of dollars of tax
evasion. As such, the AFP is ideally placed to comment on ways in which
tax fraud can be reduced and Proof of Identity procedures can be improved
across the Commonwealth'.
Similarly, the work of the HIC means that they can provide insights
into addressing the problems raised in the Auditor-General's report on
Tax File Numbers.
'The large client base of the HIC means that their internal procedures
and systems administration provide a good comparison with the ATO' said
Mr Hawker. 'The HIC is in a position to be able to comment on data quality,
record keeping practices, fraud prevention methods, proof of identity
processes and measures to ensure the privacy of clients.'
'The Committee's hearings are an important step towards identifying
better practice in managing Tax File Numbers. The ATO must embrace this
process to ensure that better practices are adopted in order to overcome
the problems of the TFN system'.
Information on the progress of the inquiry is available on the Committee's
website at: http://www.aph.gov.au/house/committee/efpa/TFNaudit/tfnindex.htm
Ends // 8 March 2000
Further information:
David Hawker MP (Chairman) 02 - 6277 4100 (Parliament House)
Melissa Stutsel (Principal Research Officer) 02 - 6277 2319
Email: EFPA.Reps@aph.gov.au
Public Hearing Program
Date: Thursday 9 March 2000
Time: 10:00am - 11:00am Health
Insurance Commission
11:00am
- 12:00pm Australian Federal Police
Location: Committee Room 2R2, Parliament
House, Canberra
Committee Membership 39th Parliament
Chairman: Mr David Hawker MP
Deputy Chairman: Mr Gregory Wilton MP
Members:
Mr Anthony Albanese MP
Ms Anna Burke MP
Ms Teresa Gambaro MP
Mrs Kay Hull MP
Mr Mark Latham MP
Mr Christopher Pyne MP
Hon Alex Somlyay MP
Dr Andrew Southcott MP
For a copy of the Audit Report No 37 - Management of Tax File Numbers:
Contact the Australian National Audit Office (02 6203 7685) or their
website http://www.anao.gov.au
Or Government Info Shops or their website http://www.ausinfo.gov.au
Last reviewed 8 March 2000 by the Committee Secretariat
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