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Taxation Law FAQ - Will Going Bankrupt Avoid My Seven-Figure ATO Debt?

Date: July 14, 2011

Q.  I owe the ATO a seven figure amount of unpaid tax and I believe the best way to avoid this is to  wind up my companies and declare myself bankrupt.  Is this the case?

A.  No. Where taxpayers owe the ATO a substantial amount of unpaid tax they will attempt wherever possible to recover it.  Just because you decide to wind up your companies and declare yourself bankrupt and even if you were to avoid paying the tax it does not mean that you will not be subject to criminal prosecution.  With bankruptcy it variously lasts for either three, five or seven years and for anyone contemplating that who is middle-aged it is ruinous in terms of their ability to regenerate a business, re-establish themselves as a director and trade in future.  It should not be forgotten that in most cases where a substantial amount of tax is owed to the ATO they will be your principal and sometimes only creditor. Although you may think you will be the moving party in a company winding up and a bankruptcy petition they may in fact do so themselves when they discover that you are unable to make e.g. partial reparation.  What you need to do is to retain a tax lawyer who has a complete understanding of what is required in this area to achieve the best possible result.

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