Sydney law firms raided by crime commission

Documents have been seized from four of Australia's best-known law firms as part of a tax evasion investigation.

The offices of Deacons, Dibbs Barker Gosling, Gadens and Abbott Tout were among 25 offices raided by the Australian Crime Commission (ACC) last week as part of a blitz on an international tax fraud scheme, newspaper reports said today.

The firms have been served with warrants requiring them to surrender certain files.

Sydney tax lawyer Ross Seller has been linked to raids at three of the firms.

Tax Commissioner Michael Carmody told News Ltd and Fairfax newspapers that he expected more raids.

He said the ATO had seized the client list of one offshore tax scheme promoter and, using its coercive powers to obtain information, would begin contacting a new list of up to 100 Australian clients.

Mr Carmody said the investigations had begun in 1992 when a visit to a promoter of an entirely different tax scheme yielded documents suggesting overseas entities were being used for evasion.

The Tax Office referred the matter to the ACC in mid-2003.

- AAP