Scammers, fraudsters and the tax office’s missing $50 billion | Four Corners Documentary

Video Description

The ATO is one of the most powerful and secretive institutions in the country, but for years, it’s operated without effective scrutiny. In this major Four Corners investigation, award-winning financial journalists Neil Chenoweth and Angus Grigg reveal how inaction and flawed systems have allowed more than $50 billion in tax to go uncollected. They unpick how a simple scam, supercharged on social media, saw tens of thousands of Australians fraudulently claim at least $2 billion in GST refunds. They also show how corporate operators extracted millions more through fake invoices and phantom construction projects, often without triggering even basic checks. And they expose how deep cuts, digital automation and a lack of independent oversight has left one of Australia’s most powerful institutions wide open to exploitation. Born of years of forensic reporting by two of Australia’s most respected financial journalists in collaboration with the ABC’s investigations team, No Return exposes systemic failures inside one of the nation’s most opaque institutions. It demonstrates why every taxpayer should demand accountability from the very agency entrusted to uphold it. CHAPTERS 00:12 – The Australian Taxation Office 02:40 – A simple scam 03:40 – Tik Tok trend 05:10 – GST scam 11:38 – Over $800,000 dollars in fraudulent refunds 14:20 – Operation Protego 14:50 – Missing 2 billion 15:40 – ATO on notice 18:24 – Corporate scams 24:00 – Collectable debt 26:40 – 21 million dollars in GST refunds 27:35 – The Settlements 41:28 – Reforming the ATO Note: In most cases, our captions are auto-generated. #ABCNewsIndepth #ABCNewsAustralia #4Corners