Former KPMG partner Chris Jordan named in whistleblower claims over offshore tax avoidance
Documents seen by ABC News allege that Chris Jordan, the former KPMG partner who later led Australia’s tax office for more than a decade, hid
Documents seen by ABC News allege that Chris Jordan, the former KPMG partner who later led Australia’s tax office for more than a decade, hid money in an offshore bank account to avoid paying tax in the late 1990s. The allegations, released as part of a parliamentary inquiry into the KPMG audit leaks scandal, also say he promoted tax schemes to clients and received $1.2 million in secret commissions.
New claims from a whistleblower letter
The latest material comes from redacted documents published by a parliamentary committee examining how KPMG audit partners allegedly misused client data and handled a whistleblower complaint. ABC News says it has also seen an unredacted copy of a July 21, 2021 letter from a second whistleblower who called themselves a “concerned taxpayer”.
That letter, according to the reporting, adds another layer to a scandal that has already put KPMG’s internal conduct under scrutiny. The committee’s document release points to allegations involving partners at the firm in the late 1990s, a period now drawing renewed attention because of Jordan’s later rise to the top of Australia’s tax administration.
Jordan’s later role at the ATO
Jordan went on to become commissioner of the Australian Taxation Office in January 2013 and held the post for more than 11 years. His tenure ended only recently, after he left the high-profile job following a period marked by political pressure and criticism over the tax office’s handling of major compliance issues.
His time at the ATO was widely seen as consequential. Reporting in Australian media has credited him with pushing digital change inside the agency and driving tougher action on multinational tax avoidance. But the new allegations place his earlier career at KPMG back in the spotlight.
Why the case matters beyond Australia
The claims land in a global environment where tax authorities have faced growing pressure to police offshore arrangements, secret commissions and the use of client information inside large professional services firms. KPMG has faced related scrutiny in other markets as well, where regulators and lawmakers have looked closely at how audit and advisory work can cross ethical lines.
For Australia, the episode also revives questions about trust in tax institutions. Jordan spent years as the public face of enforcement and compliance. Now his conduct at a private firm before that appointment is being examined through whistleblower evidence and parliamentary disclosure.
The committee has continued releasing redacted documents tied to the KPMG audit leaks affair, and the ABC’s report says the newly seen letter sharpens the focus on alleged behaviour from the late 1990s. The next step is likely to be more scrutiny of what the documents show, and how far the allegations can be substantiated.
