TPG disputes ATO tax claim

TPG Capital has disputed claims from the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) that it owes A$452.2 million ($422.7 million; €282.3 million) in unpaid capital gains taxes from the recent public listing of portfolio company Myer Group.

TPG said in a statement it has at all times complied with Australian taxation laws and would continue to do so in the future. The firm said it had not been contacted by the ATO, but that it intends “to cooperate fully with any inquiry they make as we have done so in the past”.
 
Last week, the ATO attempted to freeze TPG’s Australian accounts over the matter. The ATO has also attempted to slap the firm with an A$226.1 additional penalty, or 50 percent of the assessment, for allegedly avoiding tax, The Australian newspaper reported. 

TPG led a consortium including Newbridge Capital (which TPG later subsumed) to acquire the Myer retail business for $A1.4 billion in 2006. Myer raised A$2.2 billion through its IPO in October, which saw a complete exit for its private equity owners, TPG and Blum Capital. It is estimated TPG received A$1.3 billion when it sold its stake in the Myer float, having recouped all of its initial investment prior to the flotation.

Myer shares, which were sold at A$4.10 in the offfering, were trading at A$3.92 at press time.