PwC Australia Sacks 8 Partners Over Tax Leak Scandal

PwC Australia has fired eight partners including its former chief executive as part of an internal investigation into the leak of confidential government tax plans by a former partner, the firm said, Lewis Jackson reported for Reuters.

Photo Insert: The sackings mark the latest move by PwC to contain the fallout from the data leak scandal.

The investigation found several instances when the "misuse of confidential information" breached professional standards and also identified "a failure of leadership and governance" to address the breaches, PwC said in a statement.

"Accountability is critical to improving our culture and based on our investigation to date, it is clear that the conduct of a number of partners fell short of what was expected of them. They are now being held accountable for their misconduct," acting CEO Kristin Stubbins said in the statement.

The sackings mark the latest move by PwC to contain the fallout from a scandal, after a former partner who had been advising the Australian government on new tax laws targeting corporate tax avoidance shared confidential drafts with colleagues which were used to drum up business around the world.

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