Uber, Facebook revelations more reason PwC should come clean: senators

afr.com:

Senators pursuing PwC over its tax leaks scandal have demanded the firm reveal the names of the US tech giants given tax advice based on confidential government information obtained by a former PwC partner.

The comments were made in response to an article in The Australian Financial Review on Friday that revealed Uber and Facebook set up new company structures to sidestep Australia’s multinational tax avoidance law using PwC advice.

Senator Deborah O’Neill wants PwC to name the clients involved in ‘Project North America’. Alex Ellinghausen

“It is now no secret that PwC sought out the world’s largest companies in order to gain clients and monetise their theft of confidential Australian government information,” Senator O’Neill said in a statement.

“Information which has come to light showing that Facebook and Uber restructured to avoid the MAAL [Multinational Anti-Avoidance Law] regime, and reports of the substantial underpayment of tax, are both deeply concerning and sadly unsurprising.”

PwC leaders have already responded to earlier demands from the senators by naming the Australian partners associated with the scandal, and its leaders have also repeatedly apologised over the matter. But the firm’s leaders have yet to reveal the names of clients that were pitched the tax advice nor if any international PwC partners are involved in the matter.

“The ongoing drip-feed of information reflects PwC’s unwillingness to take full accountability for their transgressions. PwC’s tardy and begrudging responses to their own firm’s gross ethical and professional misconduct evidence a real unwillingness to engage in meaningful institutional reform,” Senator O’Neill said.

Greens Senator Barbara Pocock referred PwC and the tax scandal to