- Banned
- #3,326
Just wondering what the difference is between what Gillard has been accused of and say an accountant that does his best (within the rules) to minimise tax or creates tax havens for his clients?
Or lawyers that work their darndest to get a guilty client off, or setting up a corporation that minimises liability for directors?
Or directors continuing a business knowing full well that it is likely to go bankrupt?
I am sure that there are more examples.
I think we can call this RC for what it is - a witch hunt, nothing and nothing less.
All bar the last are legitimate activities that a properly engaged, properly qualified advisor is able to do - although I'd add that in the tax area the newish scheme promoter rules make that work highly risky.
That said, if I was partner at, say, KPMG and I provided advice to a key client without recording it in the files of the firm, hid it, did it off the books and then the tax scheme was investigated for fraud, I'd rightly be facing the sack and professional sanctions and possibly worse.
It would be a black mark against my professional ethics and by extension my character for the foreseeable future.