Aussies caught up in tax haven leaks

JAMES Packer, Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban have been linked to a huge cache of documents leaked from an advisory firm that specialises in setting up offshore trusts.

Also named in the leak were businessman Macquarie Bank boss Nicholas Moore; and the new AFL chairman, Richard Goyder, over an entity linked to his role as Wesfarmers boss.

The cache of 13.4 million documents from the firm, Appleby, was leaked to an international consortium of investigative journalists.

Appleby specialises in setting up legal and legitimate offshore structures for an extensive list of reputable companies and individuals. It was not clear whether any Australian individuals and companies named in last night’s report were in breach of any local laws. However, the Australian Taxation Office confirmed it was investigating the papers.

Mr Packer was named in connection to his previous interests with Asian gaming tycoon Lawrence Ho, when the pair were setting up Studio City casino in Hong Kong.

Their joint-venture company is alleged to have asked Appleby to establish an offshore company registered in the British Virgin Islands, Four Corners reported last night.

Kidman and Urban are alleged to have asked Appleby to establish a company in the Bahamas in 2015, with the intention of buying property in the tax haven.

Four Corners also alleged Michael Hutchence’s business manager, Colin Diamond, shifted the INXS star’s millions into an offshore account.