Open petition: Require tax agents to share liability for errors in tax returns they prepare

Created by Lee Osborne
Closes on 11 August 2026

Introduce legislation so that any person or company preparing and submitting tax returns on behalf of others is jointly liable for penalties, interest, and losses arising from errors caused by their negligence, misrepresentation, or failure to meet professional standards.

Taxpayers are legally responsible for their returns even when they reasonably rely on paid professionals to prepare and submit them. This creates an imbalance where individuals bear the full consequences of errors they did not make or understand. Shared liability would improve accountability, protect consumers, raise professional standards, and strengthen trust in the tax system without penalizing compliant advisers.

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