Liberty Financial unit Minerva has challenged a judgment that found two schemes it carried out were done with the primary purpose of securing a tax advantage.
A judge has ordered that part of a decision by the Australian Taxation Office over three alleged schemes by Liberty Financial to obtain tax benefits be set aside, rejecting arguments that the corporate group’s operations were “artificial or contrived”.
The Australian Taxation Office will have “commercial discussions” with Gold Coast property developer James Raptis before deciding whether to seek summary judgment in a case over $109.5 million in alleged tax avoidance.
The Australian Taxation Office has won an urgent bid to freeze the assets of James Raptis and 11 associated entities, after accusing the Queensland property developer of dodging $109.5 million in taxes since 2000.
A settlement has been reached that brings an end to a class action against a Queensland law firm for allegedly charging personal injury clients excessive fees but does not resolve the claims of group members.
The Queensland law firm at the centre of a class action over legal fees wants the case thrown out as an abuse of process, after it was revealed that the lead plaintiff apparently sold her litigation rights to a litigation funder, whose sole director is married to the solicitor who filed the action.
A judge has told the lead plaintiff in a class action over allegedly excessive legal fees to get their “house in order”, amid complaints by the Queensland compensation law firm at the centre of the dispute that the litigation is “costing them a fortune”.