Turkish Chef Somer Sivrioglu’s Sydney Restaurant Anason Placed Under Administration Over AU$2.06 Million ATO Tax Debt

Key Points:

• Appointment of Administrator: Turkish celebrity chef and MasterChef judge Somer Sivrioglu’s flagship Sydney establishment, Anason, has been placed into voluntary administration.
• Substantial Tax Liability: The Barangaroo venue faces an outstanding tax debt of AU$2.06 million (over $1.4 million USD / ₺72.4 million TL) owed to the Australian Taxation Office (ATO).
• Financial Struggles & Repayment Efforts: Sivrioglu confirmed the restaurant has been in “survival mode” for nearly five years, noting that small-business debt restructuring attempts were rejected, and a subsequent 30-month repayment proposal went without an ATO response for over four months.
• Uninterrupted Operations: Despite entering administration, Anason remains open and operational in Sydney.
• No Other Creditor Liabilities: Sivrioglu emphasized that the business holds zero outstanding debts to suppliers, employees, or trade creditors, maintaining that its sole financial obligation is to the ATO.

Sydney (Sydney Now Magazine) October 31, 2026 – Anason, the acclaimed waterfront Turkish restaurant in Sydney owned by celebrity chef and MasterChef judge Somer Sivrioglu, has been placed into administration due to an unpaid tax liability exceeding AU$2.06 million. Reports published on Saturday, 31 October 2026, confirm that the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) is seeking the recovery of approximately ₺72.4 million Turkish lira from the Barangaroo venue. Sivrioglu disclosed that the business had operated under severe financial pressure for nearly five years, entering administration after formal debt restructuring applications failed to secure regulatory resolution. However, the restaurant continues to trade normally while administrators work through the company’s financial restructuring.

What led to Anason being placed under administration in Sydney?

As reported by staff journalists at Turkish newspaper Sözcü, Anason restaurant—which Sivrioglu established along Barangaroo Avenue in 2015—was placed under receivership administration after accumulating substantial tax liabilities with the Australian Taxation Office. According to coverage by The Daily Telegraph, the total debt logged by tax authorities stands at precisely AU$2,060,000.

Following the administration announcement, Somer Sivrioglu detailed the prolonged economic pressures that led to the venue’s restructuring process. As reported by Sözcü and relayed by Haberler, Sivrioglu stated that “This is a very successful business, but unfortunately we were unable to pay our rapidly accumulating tax debts during a difficult period”, adding that the establishment had been operating in “survival mode” for approximately five years.

How has Somer Sivrioglu attempted to resolve the restaurant’s tax debt?

As reported by Türkiye Today, Sivrioglu confirmed that management made multiple formal efforts to structure an agreement with tax authorities prior to entering administration. The chef stated that initial applications submitted under Australia’s small-business debt restructuring framework were officially rejected by administrators.

Following the initial rejections, the restaurant submitted an alternative proposal outlining a 30-month structured repayment schedule to clear the full AU$2.06 million obligation. As reported by Sözcü, Sivrioglu stated that “we applied for a 30-month repayment plan,” but revealed that the business had been left waiting without a response from revenue authorities for more than four months prior to the appointment of an administrator.

What is the current operational status and financial standing of Anason?

As reported by lifestyle writers at Turkiye Today, Anason remains fully operational along the Barangaroo waterfront despite being placed under external administration. Staff continue to serve patrons, and reservations are actively maintained as administrators assess the venue’s overall solvency options.

Addressing the company’s liabilities, Sivrioglu clarified that the financial hardship is limited strictly to government tax arrears. As reported by Haberler, Sivrioglu stated that “Our only debt is to the ATO”, stressing that the restaurant maintains a clean balance sheet regarding internal operations and has no outstanding payments owed to food suppliers, service vendors, trade creditors, or current staff members.

Background of Somer Sivrioglu and Anason’s Position in Sydney’s Culinary Scene

Somer Sivrioglu moved from Turkey to Australia in 1995, building a high-profile international culinary career that bridges Anatolian gastronomy with modern Western dining standards. After establishing Efendy in Sydney’s Balmain suburb in 2007, Sivrioglu opened Anason in 2016 within the newly developed Barangaroo precinct on Sydney Harbour. Designed to emulate the traditional meyhanes of Istanbul, Anason received widespread critical acclaim for bringing authentic Turkish meze culture and coastal dining to New South Wales.

Sivrioglu’s profile grew significantly following his appointment as a head judge on MasterChef Türkiye, making him one of the most recognizable Turkish culinary figures globally. However, like many premium venues across Sydney’s hospitality sector, Anason faced compounding headwinds over the past five years, driven by COVID-19 trading restrictions, rising supply chain costs, shifts in consumer discretionary spending, and strict post-pandemic tax debt collection strategies enforced by the Australian Taxation Office.

Hospitality Debt Restructuring and Sydney Waterfront Dining

The administration of Anason highlights an intensifying trend across the Australian food and beverage sector as regulatory authorities step up enforcement on post-pandemic tax liabilities.

For Sydney restaurant operators and hospitality groups, Anason’s insolvency proceedings illustrate the shrinking tolerance for extended small-business tax arrears. Industry analysts predict that medium-sized hospitality venues struggling with lingering debts from the 2020–2024 operating periods will face heightened pressure from the ATO, likely triggering a wave of similar small-business restructuring appointments across New South Wales throughout late 2026 and early 2027.

For Anason’s patrons, employees, and management, the operational survival of the venue will depend on the administrator’s ability to negotiate a binding Deed of Company Arrangement (DOCA) or execute a structured payment plan with the ATO. Given that the business retains strong brand equity, zero trade creditor debt, and steady revenue flow, legal experts project a reasonable likelihood that the restaurant will successfully restructure its tax obligations and continue trading without a forced liquidation or permanent closure.