“big business have had it pretty easy to date.”

I agree on that, John. I’m not sure whether the article misses this point, though. But that’s not important.

If Mr. Killaly pulls this trick, he would have made a fan of me and gained a whole bunch of rich enemies.

I hope the Federal government has the “cojones” to stand by a really important initiative.

If you speak to Mr. Killaly, please, tell him that I am a very appreciative member of the tax paying public.

PS: You also have a share of the credit for this, as you were raising hell about TPG running away without paying their taxes. Well done, John!

Yes I have. I used to work with Jim Killaly and my wife still does. The article misses the point I think – big business have had it pretty easy to date. Jim might change that. (but the article gets the details of recruitment and staff wrong. Jim isn’t in charge of Large Business and International Operations; he is in charge of the case leadership side (ie hurrying up old cases).

This sends shivers down the spine of business because he is the clueiest and most strategic tax officer I have ever met.

I have been corresponding with my local ABC radio station on this and we might have had an interview lined up but couldn’t get the timing right. I sent them details of the ATO time bomb article about an hour ago.

In an entirely unrelated matter (apologies for this), have you read the news at SMH about the ATO and big business?

The ATO bomb
http://www.smh.com.au/business/the-ato-bomb-20100312-q45d.html

Taxman in dogged pursuit of the minimisers
http://www.smh.com.au/business/taxman-in-dogged-pursuit-of-the-minimisers-20100312-q42d.html

As Big Kev (remember him?) used to say: I’m ex-soited!