An Australian Tax Office whistleblower has argued he should be spared convictions because he was motivated by public interest, and his actions led to change within the federal agency.

Former debt collection officer, 49-year-old Richard Boyle, went public with concerns about the culture at the ATO in 2018 — marking the start of a years-long legal battle.

He had faced 66 charges but over time many were dropped, before he in May pleaded guilty to four counts under a deal struck with prosecutors.

At a sentencing hearing on Friday, prosectors said Boyle's offending constituted a serious breach of privacy, and a period of imprisonment was warranted — but they were not opposed to the term being suspended.

Boyle 'did some public good'

Boyle was charged after he made a series of allegations on the ABC's Four Corners program, including that his area was instructed to use heavy-handed tactics on taxpayers who owed the tax office money.

Over the years since he spoke out, Boyle had made several failed attempts to secure immunity from prosecution using whistleblower protections.

Supporters on many occasions have called for the case to be thrown out.

He eventually pleaded guilty to disclosing protected information, making a record of protected information, using a listening device to record private conversations and recording another person's tax file number.

Defence counsel Steven Millsteed KC said the court should recognise Boyle was not acting out of any nefarious motivation,...

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