Tax Disputes
“The hardest thing in the world to understand is the income tax.”
- Albert Einstein
Dormer Stanhope has a strong tax disputes practice — an area that is becoming ever more important as Australian tax authorities adopt a firmer line on the collection of tax and enforcement of tax laws.
Our team has experience acting for a wide range of clients from listed public companies, to small commercial entities and high-net worth individuals, advising on a range of domestic and international taxation issues.
We provide specialist advice and representation to manage tax disputes through all stages of the dispute process from initial ATO enquires, to lodging ATO objections, and appealing ATO decisions to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT), the Federal Court of Australia or the High Court of Australia.
The principal of Dormer Stanhope, Justeen Dormer has represented a number of high-net worth individuals and companies in high profile disputes with the ATO as a part of Project Wickenby and Operation Rubix.
Recent Cases
[Name withheld for privacy] v Commissioner of Taxation. Dormer Stanhope acted for a taxpayer in its challenge to substantial assessments with total liability of about $25 million, arising from the formation of a tax consolidated group in 2008.
[Confidential] v DCT and ACC. Dormer Stanhope represented the Applicant in confidential judicial review proceedings against the Australian Crime Commission and Deputy Commissioner of Taxation. We have extensive experience with the Australian Crime Commission.
Project Wickenby Litigation. Dormer Stanhope was briefed for the taxpayer in numerous Project Wickenby civil tax matters. In one case our client challenged liability that totals $68 million. In another case we represented the taxpayer in ground-breaking litigation which was the first Controlled Foreign Company and Foreign Investment Fund case ever litigated in Australia.
State Revenue Litigation. Dormer Stanhope handles state revenue matters such as stamp duty and payroll tax. In one case, we brought concurrent proceedings in the Supreme Court and tribunal in relation to stamp duty of $1.3 million.