Partnership not ended, so director still liable, says Court
A businessman has been unsuccessful in appealing to the NSW Court of Appeal against an earlier District Court decision which had held that, as a director of a company, he was liable to pay monies to the ATO that were withheld from employees' wages. Under the tax law, a director of a company could face a tax penalty if amounts withheld from employee's wages are not paid to the ATO.
Broadly, the director was part of a partnership operating a café/bar restaurant with another partner. However, the Court heard the relationship between the partners had deteriorated. The director argued the partnership had terminated, so therefore there could be no withholding by his company. However, the Court found it was the director's involvement in the management of the partnership that had actually ended, not the partnership itself.
