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Taxation Administration Act 1999
34Increase in penalty tax for concealment
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34 Increase in penalty tax for concealment
The amount of penalty tax payable in relation to a tax default is 90%
of the amount of tax unpaid if the commissioner is satisfied that, after
the commissioner has informed the taxpayer that an investigation is
to be carried out and before the investigation is completed, the
taxpayer (or a person acting on behalf of the taxpayer)—
(a) deliberately damages or destroys records required to be kept
under the tax law to which the investigation relates; or
(b) fails, without reasonable excuse, to comply with a requirement
made by the commissioner under division 9.2 for the purposes
of determining the taxpayer’s tax liability; or
(c) hinders or obstructs an authorised officer exercising functions
under division 9.2, or an authorised valuer exercising functions
under division 9.2A, for the purposes of determining the
taxpayer’s liability; or
(d) otherwise shows intentional disregard for a tax law.
Note 1 The Legislation Act, dict, pt 1 defines fail to include refuse.
Note 2 The commissioner’s decision to impose increased penalty tax is an
the taxpayer (see s 107B).
Note 3 Table 34 contains a summary of the effect of s 31 to s 34.
Penalty tax Division 5.2
Table 34 Rates of penalty tax
column 1
item
column 2 column 3 column 4
basic rate reduced rate
voluntary
before
1 taxpayer took
reasonable care
0% 0% 0%
2 circumstances beyond
taxpayer’s control
0% 0% 0%
basic rate reduced rate
voluntary
before
3 tax default 25% 5% 20%
4 • delayed payment
of tax
• delayed provision
of information
• provided incorrect,
incomplete or
misleading
information
• second or
subsequent tax
default
50% 10% 40%
5 intentional disregard of
tax law
75% 15% 60%
6 concealment 90% 90% 90%