Michael Joseph Carmody is a retired senior Australian public servant. He was the Commissioner of Taxation of the Commonwealth of Australia from January 1993 to 31 December 2005 and the chief executive officer of the

Australian Customs and Border Protection Service The Australian Customs and Border Protection Service was an Australian federal government agency responsible for managing the security and integrity of the Australian border and facilitating the movement of legitimate international travelers and ...

until 4 September 2012.

Life and career

Carmody attended secondary school at St. Bernard's College, Melbourne. Carmody joined the ATO in

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...

in 1968, later moving to the ATO's National Office in Canberra in 1973. There he was involved in a wide range of taxation issues, including tax avoidance, legislation and tax reform. In 1983, Carmody relocated to Sydney where he assumed the role of First Assistant Deputy Commissioner. Later in the same year, he assumed the role of Deputy Commissioner in the ATO's

Parramatta Parramatta () is a suburb and major Central business district, commercial centre in Greater Western Sydney, located in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is located approximately west of the Sydney central business district on the ban ...

branch. Returning to National Office in 1986, Carmody was appointed as Second Commissioner in charge of revenue collection and audit, and in the following year, leader of the ATO's "modernisation program". Carmody holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the

University of Melbourne The University of Melbourne is a public research university located in Melbourne, Australia. Founded in 1853, it is Australia's second oldest university and the oldest in Victoria. Its main campus is located in Parkville, an inner suburb no ...

, and he attended

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of high ...

's six-week Advanced Management Program in 1989. Carmody was appointed Commissioner of Taxation in 1993. During his time as Commissioner, he was highly regarded internationally for what was viewed as an innovative approach to tax administration. During his almost 13-year career as Federal Commissioner of Taxation, Carmody oversaw the modernisation of the

Australian Taxation Office The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) is an Australian statutory agency and the principal revenue collection body for the Australian Government. The ATO has responsibility for administering the Australian federal taxation system, superannuatio ...

("ATO"), the implementation of a number of significant reforms to the Australian taxation system, and the design and implementation of a new compliance management program. Carmody's leadership of the ATO led to its push to encourage taxpayers to deal with the ATO and other Government agencies electronically. On 10 November 2005 Carmody announced that he would be leaving the office of Federal Commissioner of Taxation to take up a position as chief executive officer of the then

Australian Customs Service The Australian Customs Service was an Australian Government agency responsible for Australian border protection, duties and taxes between 1985 and 2009. The Service was first under the portfolio of the Department of Industry, Technology and Comme ...

, replacing Lionel Woodward. He was replaced by Second Commissioner Michael D’Ascenzo from 1 January 2006. Carmody was made an Officer of the Order of Australia in 2005 for his work in tax administration Carmody's retirement was announced by the Minister for Home Affairs and Minister for Justice Jason Clare on 24 August 2012. Clare described Carmody as a 44-year giant of the Commonwealth Public Service and reflected that his intellect, capacity and decency would be sorely missed by all in the Commonwealth Public Sector.

Awards

Carmody was made an Officer of the Order of Australia in 2005 for his work in Tax administration.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Carmody, Michael Australian public servants Living people Year of birth missing (living people) People educated at St. Bernard's College, Melbourne Australian chief executives University of Melbourne alumni Officers of the Order of Australia Public servants from Melbourne