This report examined PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) Australia's ethical soundness in response to the 2023 Tax Practitioners Board's (TPB) investigation into PwC's head of Australia's international tax, Mr Peter Collins. The TPB investigation identified that Mr Collins had made unauthorised disclosures of confidential information to colleagues at PwC Australia, and that PwC Australia had failed to properly manage conflicts of interest in relation to the sharing of confidential information with partners and staff of PwC Australia.

Although the PwC Australia breach of confidentiality did not occur as part of a procurement process, it raised issues regarding the ethical soundness of PwC Australia and if it was appropriate for PwC Australia to continue to contract with the Commonwealth under the Commonwealth Procurement Rules (CPRs). In April 2024, PwC Australia agreed with the Commonwealth that it would not bid for any new Commonwealth work and would cease new contract engagements with Australian Government entities captured by the CPRs until at least 1 December 2024. This arrangement was extended into 2025.

The Department of Finance concludes that PwC Australia has implemented, or is in the process of implementing, appropriate governance, ethical and cultural structures to significantly improve its ethical operation. Finance considers that, in light of these changes, it is appropriate for Australian Government entities to consider contracting with PwC Australia as they would any other supplier.

The report is accompanied by a Procurement Policy Note advising Commonwealth entities that Finance has completed its examination of the ethical soundness of PwC Australia.