Former ATO heavyweight Andrew Orme has been appointed to the plum role at the TPB, overseeing operations at the tax agent regulator.
Orme once worked at law firm Clayton Utz before joining the ATO. He held a range of positions, including deputy chief tax counsel and assistant commissioner for independent review and large market objections.
He takes over as TPB secretary from tax office veteran Michael O’Neill.
The Tax Practitioners Board begins 2026 with a new secretary to head the administrative side of its regulatory activities.
Former ATO heavyweight Andrew Orme has been appointed to the plum role at the TPB, overseeing operations at the tax agent regulator.
Orme once worked at law firm Clayton Utz before joining the ATO. He held a range of positions, including deputy chief tax counsel and assistant commissioner for independent review and large market objections.
He takes over as TPB secretary from tax office veteran Michael O’Neill.
O’Neill held the office for seven years. During that period, he oversaw the TPB’s work on the controversial PwC tax leaks matter.
The tax leaks saga first reared its head publicly in January 2023 when the TPB released its decision to discipline former PwC partner Peter Collins and PwC Australia for breaching confidentiality agreements signed with both Treasury and the Board of Taxation linked to policy development.
Collins had his tax agent registration terminated and was prohibited from reapplying for two years.
The TPB ordered PwC Australia to demonstrate changes to its internal controls and risk management systems.
Nine further cases were investigated by the TPB following the availability of additional information. Five of those resulted in disciplinary action.
Three PwC tax team members received cautions from the TPB, while two others received more severe penalties.
One of those two was former PwC chief executive officer Tom Seymour. Seymour was the leader of the tax division during the tax policy confidentiality breach. Another individual who can’t be named is appealing a TPB disciplinary decision.
O’Neill starts the year as special adviser to the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission.
