WA Partner's Brother Using Our Joint Bank Account - Consequences?

[Whippa]

Hi,

I have had a concern since late last calendar year when my partner gave our bank account number to her brother when he started a new job as he did not have an account of his own. On many repeated occasions, I have expressed my concerns to my partner about having his pay being deposited into our account and asked her to rectify this and encourage him to open an account of his own.

I have two main concerns with this situation. First is that, although I am told he is paying the appropriate tax, I am still worried that he is due to him working for one of his friends in their small business. Second is that he has a child to someone he is no longer with and I am not sure if he is paying his child support.

This problem has created a lot of stress for myself and my relationship with my partner. Because the bank account to which his money is being deposited is a joint account of mine and my partner, I am unable to make any major changes, like closing the account to end this without her co-authorization.

What kind of penalties are there, if any, that my partner and I could face if he has not been paying the proper taxes and/or child support.

Regards

 

[Lance]

Hi Whippa,

I would open a new account, transfer your pay to that account and take everything out of the other account. Once you do this advise the bank that the other account has been accessed by a family member and it needs to be suspended.

 

[Tim W]

Open a bank account of your own,
and stop using the joint one.

There's nothing illegal about sharing a bank account in the way you describe,
but it's really, really, dumb.

 

[Rod]

And your partner may be an accessory to fraud if she is knowingly helping her brother hide money from CSA.

 

[Tim W]

And your partner may be an accessory to fraud if she is knowingly helping her brother hide money from CSA.

Failing to pay Child Support is not fraud.

 

[Rod]

Interesting viewpoint.

Reporting fraud - Australian Government Department of Human Services

I agree it may not be the criminal definition of fraud however it may attract civil penalties. I haven't looked to see what the charge/offense is for helping someone evade child support under any of the welfare/child support acts.