Damien Ward

Member’s name: Damien Ward CPA
Date of Hearing: 3 February 2026
Division: New South Wales
Tribunal: Disciplinary 

On 3 February 2026 the Disciplinary Tribunal found Mr Damien Ward breached CPA Australia’s 11 May 2022 Constitution (“the Constitution”) in that he had:

Complaint 1
“committed, participated in or been involved with an Adverse Event” as defined in Article 76(h) of the Constitution in that he “became the subject of a final adverse finding in relation to the member’s conduct, competence or recognition by any Court, professional body, statutory or other regulatory authority in any jurisdiction” with respect to the Tax Practitioners Board (TPB) decision of 24 October 2024 that he failed to comply with subsections 30-10(1), 30-10(7), 30-10(9) and 30-10(10) of the Code of Professional Conduct in the Tax Agent Services Act 2009 (TASA) and subsequent termination of his registration as a tax agent effective 19 December 2024 prohibiting from reapplying for 1 year.

Particulars
Mr Ward’s conduct as determined by the TPB revealed multiple systemic failures and ethical deficiencies, inconsistent with the professional standards expected of a CPA Australia Member. His conduct comprised of the following:

1. False declarations to the TPB identifying an individual as a supervising agent without her knowledge or consent, on multiple occasions between 2013 and 2022.
2. The TPB found these declarations were knowingly false and that Mr Ward’s subsequent explanations lacked credibility.
3. Mr Ward was listed on 33 client tax returns found by the ATO to contain incorrect or unsubstantiated claims, including false deductions, private expense claims, and lack of substantiation.
4. The ATO and TPB both concluded that Mr Ward failed to take reasonable care, even after receiving prior warnings from the ATO.
5. Mr Ward did not adequately ascertain clients’ circumstances or apply relevant taxation law.
6. The conduct reflected deficient internal controls, poor technical understanding, and disregard for compliance obligations.

Decision
Mr Ward attended the Disciplinary Tribunal Hearing and denied the complaint.
The Disciplinary Tribunal considered the evidence before it and found the Complaint sustained.

Penalty and Conditions
The Disciplinary Tribunal considered the member’s good standing, his years in practice and his community service. However, his conduct amounted to a serious breach of the standards of integrity, trust and respect required of members, and the Tribunal imposed the following penalty:

Complaint 1:

• A severe reprimand.
• Mr Ward must successfully complete the online course CPA Australia’s “Ethical Dilemmas in Accounting: A Practical Perspective”.
• Mr Ward must notify CPA Australia if he obtains his TPB registration and resumes offering Public Accounting Services.
• Mr Ward must undertake a Practice Review within 12 months of obtaining his tax agent registration.

Costs
Mr Ward was ordered to pay CPA Australia’s costs of $12,978.50.