Accounting giant PwC is in crisis mode amid a growing Australian tax leak scandal

From the Dossier

Entry 5 of 26. Section A: Firm-specific scandals and accountability failures. Back to the Dossier

Summary

A PwC Australia tax partner leaked confidential government briefings on planned anti-avoidance legislation to colleagues, who then used the intelligence to court multinational clients seeking to dodge incoming rules. The scandal prompted the CEO’s resignation and referral to the Australian Federal Police. ICIJ notes this follows its earlier investigation of PwC Luxembourg through the LuxLeaks project a decade earlier.

Source description

An ICIJ investigation. The intelligence was used before the rules took effect, and the piece traces the implication that PwC’s global leadership had to intervene as the scandal spread beyond Australia.

Credibility assessment

ICIJ’s nonprofit investigative model and track record place this at High independence under Rule 5. Under Rule 6, the pattern of PwC scandals across multiple jurisdictions and decades suggests a systemic issue, though the institutional response (CEO resignation, police referral) indicates some accountability mechanisms functioned.