Latest News

The CDPP’s Corporate Plan 2023–27 is now available.

The 2021-22 CDPP Annual Report was tabled in Parliament on Friday 28 October 20

The CDPP recently received an overall satisfaction score of 86 per cent from its biennial 2022 Partner Agency Survey.

The CDPP's 2022-26 Corporate Plan is now available.

The Attorney-General of New South Wales today announced the appointment of Ms Sarah McNaughton SC as a judge of the Supreme Court of NSW. 

The CDPP’s Library and Research Services team has won the 2022 Legal Information Service of the Year award announced at the Australian Law Librarians’ Association (ALLA) conference in Hobart on Thursday 26 August.

On 7 July 2022 the Commonwealth Attorney-General, the Honourable Mark Dreyfus QC MP, announced he had declined to proceed further in the prosecution of Mr Bernard Collaery for five offences relating to the alleged unlawful communication of ASIS information contrary to the Intelligence Services

On 11 February 2022, the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions Ms Sarah McNaughton SC announced her decision to decline to proceed further in the criminal prosecutions of Citigroup Global Markets Australia Pty Limited, Deutsche Bank AG and four senior banking executives for cartel offences

The CDPP 2020-21 Annual Report was tabled in Parliament on Wednesday 20 October 2021. 

Tax Fraud

We prosecute a significant number of tax fraud matters including refund fraud matters and taxation evasion frauds and schemes. 

We prosecute taxation fraud and regulatory offences referred by the ATO. We also prosecute serious taxation evasion schemes referred by Serious Financial Crime Taskforce as well as matters referred by the AFP and the ACIC.

By agreement, the ATO may prosecute straight-forward regulatory offences under taxation legislation. Where a matter becomes a defended hearing, the ATO generally refers the matter to the CDPP. However, by agreement certain defended hearings may be conducted by the ATO.

The prosecution of Goods and Services Tax (GST) fraud forms a significant part of our practice. These prosecutions vary in sophistication from small-scale fraud to large, complex schemes.

We prosecute those who exploit the system by, for example, failing to report cash income, falsifying claims for GST credits as well as intermediaries such as tax agents and accountants who use their client’s taxation accounts and details to obtain benefits they are not entitled to. We also prosecute offences related to the trade in illicit tobacco and the evasion of excise and/or customs duty.

Prosecuting fraud against the Australian taxation system is important to maintaining public confidence in the taxation system. 

Key legislation

Main offences

  • s.134.1(1) Criminal Code—dishonestly obtaining Commonwealth property
  • s.134.2(1) Criminal Code—obtain financial advantage by deception
  • s.135.4(3) Criminal Code—dishonestly cause a loss to the Commonwealth.

Penalties

The maximum penalty for offences against sections 134.1(1), 134.2(1) and 135.4(3) of the Criminal Code is 10 years’ imprisonment.

Partner agencies

Practice Group Instructions (PGI)

PGI CFC No. 3 :

 

PGI RBF No. 3 :