RSL may face probe after shock closure

WEDNESDAY, JULY 24, 2019 themercury.com.au SUBSCRIPTIONS 1300 696 397 THE tax office and the charities registrar say they will investigate any complaints made about the management of the Glenorchy RSL, which closed its doors at the weekend.

Employees at the club reported that their superannuation had not been paid for 12 months, union officials said.

The club is in administration and its assets are likely to be sold off after it ran into financial difficulties.

The Australian Taxation Office is believed to be one of the club’s largest creditors.

A spokeswoman yesterday said she could not comment on whether the ATO was looking into the tax affairs of the club or its compliance with superannuation regulations.

“The ATO takes noncompliance of employers in relation to employer obligations including superannuation guarantee very seriously,” a spokeswoman said. “We investigate all reports of superannuation noncompliance made to us.

“When the ATO establishes an employer has not met their obligations to employees or ex-employees, we issue them an assessment, which states how much they owe and when the debt was due.

“We pursue the outstanding debt, including contacting the employer by phone or in writing to come to an agreement on how the debt will be paid.”

Directors could be held personally liable for unpaid superannuation, the spokeswoman said.

And the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission yesterday said that due to secrecy provisions in federal legislation, the commission was also unable to comment on the circumstances of individual charities or the details of any investigations.

“If a person has any concerns about a registered charity, we encourage them to let us know,” a spokesman said.

“People can do this by submitting an online form called ‘Raise a concern’ on the ACNC website.

“We take concerns about registered charities seriously. We review all concerns raised with us, investigate where appropriate and refer concerns to other agencies if needed.”

The ACNC can take action should charities or registered organisations fail to meet minimum standard of governance, for example, the spokesman said.