You join several company boards but receive one combined tax summary

The group total obscures individual companies

A hypothetical incoming director joins two companies within a business group. The handover shows one combined tax balance and says the group accountant has everything covered. Before relying on that summary, ask for the records to be separated by entity. The company's obligations and the director's circumstances need to be assessed using the correct identities.

Map the roles you actually accepted

List each legal company name, identifying number and appointment record. Keep trading names and project brands alongside them as references, not substitutes. Confirm uncertain entries with the appropriate adviser. Do not assume that working for the wider group means you hold the same formal role in every company connected with it.

Request entity-specific financial information

ASIC's director guidance stresses understanding the financial position of the company. Ask the authorised accountants to identify which tax accounts, reporting periods and notices belong to each company. Preserve the combined report as a summary, but make its underlying allocation visible. This article does not determine director penalty liability across a corporate group.

Source: ASIC: Insolvency for directors

Trace shared payments carefully

In the hypothetical example, a bank payment from one company appears in the group's tax reconciliation. Ask the accountant to explain where it was allocated and provide the supporting records. Do not assume the payment cleared every company's liability or move balances between entities to make the group total agree. Unexplained differences need professional review.

Give advisers the correct package

Separate appointment records and relevant tax correspondence by company, while flagging any shared arrangements that may matter. Seek specific advice about personal exposure and urgent action. If a notice names one company, preserve that identity in the referral. Avoid circulating unrelated group records broadly when a targeted authorised request will provide the necessary evidence.

Maintain a company-by-company action list

Record the unresolved issue, responsible adviser and evidence required for each entity. Escalate missing access or overdue responses promptly. CRP can help organise the group information for assessment. The useful outcome is clarity about which company each fact concerns, rather than confidence based on a group-wide assurance that cannot be matched to the records.