Government-aimed firm Scyne Advisory will begin operations next week.

Scyne Advisory, a government consulting arm, was created following a confidentiality breach scandal involving PwC and its former partner, Peter Collins. 

As a consequence, government departments distanced themselves from PwC, ultimately resulting in the sale of its government consulting division to private equity firm Allegro Funds. The transaction was recently approved by the Foreign Investment Review Board, marking the final step in the process.

However, the aftermath of the PwC confidentiality breach has prompted legislative changes. 

The Australian Greens have successfully lobbied for amendments to prevent former Big Four partners from playing a role in tax regulation if they receive pensions from their former practices. 

Additionally, tax agents are now required to report colleagues who violate the Code of Professional Conduct to discourage protective behaviours within accounting firms. 

These changes aim to strengthen guidelines regarding confidentiality, conflicts of interest, the misuse of government information, accountability, transparency, and the prohibition of false or misleading statements in the industry.

The fallout from the tax leak scandal has also impacted PwC staff, with more than 300 jobs lost, including the closure of a tech hub opened two years ago. 

Despite some employees thinking they had secured positions at Scyne Advisory, unexpected shifts and layoffs have left many reevaluating their futures in the professional services industry. 

The tax leak scandal has adversely affected PwC's brand and sales pipelines, leading to concerns about the firm's stability.