ATO second commissioner Andrew Mills says ‘sunlight is a great disinfectant’, as he advocates disclosure.
ATO alumni appointed to Board of Taxation
The Albanese Government has appointed Judy O'Connell and Andrew Mills as part-time members to the Board of Taxation, each for a three-year term. Dr Julianne Jaques has been reappointed for a further two years.
Andrew Mills: Appointments to Board of Taxation
Andrew Mills appointed to Financial Reporting Council, without fanfare
Andrew Mills: Tax Reform / What is an ATO e-Audit, and how can you be prepared?
Scott Treatt and Andrew Mills: Former ATO SESs now of The Tax Institute fame
Political Courage & Andrew Mills: You might never have to file a tax return again
John Ford, chief of the ATO-led Serious Financial Crime Taskforce, said it had been concerned about precious metal fraud for some time.
"In this case, these individuals thought they were clever and could get away with rorting Australians out of revenue that could ultimately have been put towards essential services such as health and education,' Mr Ford said in a statement.
"This outcome sends a clear message to the community that we have robust systems in place to stop all forms of financial crime, including those that involve gold bullion."
Jonatan Kelu and Cedric Adrian Millner ‘No case identical to it': $40m gold fraudsters jailed
The inspector-general of taxation is investigating the theft and hijacking of personal information that has allowed millions of dollars of tax fraud by professional scammers.
Key points:
- The inspector-general of taxation believes millions of dollars is being lost through fraudulent access to myGov ATO accounts
- Once inside the account, scammers redirect tax refunds to their own bank accounts, sometimes creating bogus claims
- The ATO says it is "not complacent" and has strong fraud prevention and detection measures in place
Some auditors avoid independent oversight, says accounting standards body
Names of companies behind $870bn tax abuses kept from public by global tax body
UN adopts plans for historic tax reform
Karen Payne says the debt notices had triggered a significant increase in complaints, and may require the government implementing a legislative fix
Ukrainian Intelligence Destroys Russia's IRS Database And Backup Copies
COLD WAR II: China Will Have 1,000 Nuclear Warheads by 2030.
According to a new Department of Defense (DoD) report on the military power of China, the People’s Republic of China (PRC) nuclear arsenal grew from 200 to over 500 warheads in just the past four years and will hit 1,000 and by 2030 and 1,500 by 2035. The 150 percent growth since 2020 is thus in the books and unprecedented.
As for the future, the key driving factor is the 300–360 new intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) silos that were built over the past few years. The silos are able to hold either the DF-31 or the DF-41 ICBM—capable of carrying three to ten warheads, respectively.
The additional major factor is the four new strategic nuclear-armed submarines (SSBN) projected to be fully operational by 2030, each with 20 missiles and three to six warheads per missile. The US Pacific Command says the submarines already in the Chinese fleet are currently being fitted with multiple warheads.
Previously: Don’t Look Now, But There’s a Nuclear Nightmare A-Brewing
AI – Agencies Have Begun Implementation but Need to Complete Key Requirements
Artificial Intelligence: Agencies Have Begun Implementation but Need to Complete Key Requirements, GAO-24-105980 Published: Dec 12, 2023. Publicly Released: Dec 12, 2023. “Artificial intelligence is rapidly changing the world and could improve government operations. For example, federal agencies can use AI to analyze drone photos and large datasets. But safeguards are needed to manage AI risks. Federal law and guidance have several requirements for agencies implementing AI, but they haven’t all been met. For example, there’s no government-wide guidance on how agencies should acquire and use AI. Without such guidance, agencies can’t consistently manage AI. And until all requirements are met, agencies can’t effectively address AI risks and benefits. Our 35 recommendationsaddress these issues and more.”