Not many people have heard of Tas Sinadinos. That was until this morning when we learnt that he was sacked from his $185,000 executive job for using his corporate credit card to buy high priced Sydney call girls.

Mr Sinadinos has an unfair dismissal case in an industrial court saying his employer EDI Rail Pty Ltd should not have sacked him for his love of prostitutes and is seeking orders including 12 months’ salary in damages and a declaration that he was not guilty of misconduct in using his corporate American Express card for escort services. Mr Sinadinos even suggested to the judge it was a legitimate tax deduction.

This case brought back memories of my time working in the ATO. I remember the bright young executive from Canberra who was a regular visitor to the notorious Surry Hills brothel A Touch Of Class. Like Sinadinos, he liked someone else paying for his carnal pleasures so he used his taxpayer funded corporate credit card. He was hauled in to accounts section one day and asked for a please explain on the regular entry of ATOC Surry Hills. As quick as a flash the good officer replied, “Oh that’s for my monthly membership to the Australian Taxation Officers Club.”

I’ve seen some strange tax deductions given the green light over the years such as abseiling equipment and yoga lessons for a cat burglar and weighing scales and plastic bags for a drug runner. But I’ve got news for Mr Sinadinos – you’ve got buckleys in getting a tax deduction for this.

However, I’m not so sure that he won’t win his unfair dismissal case with some strange decisions handed down recently. Just look at this case which will have Crikey readers thinking twice about a liquid lunch around Christmas time where the Industrial Relations Commission upheld the sacking of a supermarket manager for having two beers at lunchtime.

How un-Australian is that?