Login
iscover
A Ballarat-based tax agent has been deregistered and banned from registration by the TPB for three years due to professional misconduct.
Ballarat tax agent banned for 3 years for professional misconduct
02 July 2025
•
7 minute read
The Tax Practitioners Board has found tax agent Anthony Quinney to have acted unlawfully within his role, leading to his deregistration and a three-year ban.
Quinney was banned and deregistered for professional misconduct, including failure to take reasonable care in assessing clients’ circumstances, overclaiming GST refunds, non-compliance with his tax obligations and making false statements to the TPB.
You’re out of free articles for this month
To continue reading the rest of this article, please log in.
Create free account to get unlimited news articles and more!
Peter de Cure, TPB chair, said Quinney’s breaches of professional obligations resulted in a significant ATO investigation and penalties for eight clients.
“Australia’s tax system is built on community trust and confidence, and the integrity of tax practitioners. Those who act unlawfully undermine that bond of trust and impose costs on their clients and the community.”
“Reasonable care and competence standards require tax practitioners to undertake reasonable enquiries, especially when addressing ‘red flags’. Risk indicators may include new or unknown clients, tax statements without substance, or refund claims that are inconsistent with the facts or financial records.”
The TPB warned there were serious consequences for agents acting unlawfully, and that it would target its investigations and sanctions at tax practitioners involved in misconduct to protect the Australian community.
De Cure added that where a tax practitioner knew the information provided by clients was not credible, they should make further inquiries, rather than continuing to provide services recklessly.
“This case is an important and timely reminder for tax practitioners who have an obligation to act lawfully and keep clients informed. When faced with reckless or unreasonable tax claims, ethical tax practitioners will decline to act in order to preserve their credibility and compliance.”
The banning of Quinney closely followed the banning of Bankstown tax agent Kahtan Al Hassan on 24 June for five years, demonstrating the TPB’s commitment to protecting the integrity of the profession.
You need to be a member to post comments. Become a member for free today!
