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CBA's Marianne Perkovic was being more direct with her answers to questions but was still accused of “obfuscating” in her answers.

An internal CBA report from 2015 presented to the royal commission on Thursday shows a client of CBA’s Count financial planning arm was charged fees from 2003 to at least 2015,despite the planner knowing she passed away in 2004.

The report was conducted as part of a review of CBA and its planning arms charging customers fees for services they did not receive.

The issue of fees for no service has become a flashpoint for the royal commission after financial services giantAMP admitted lying to ASIC 20 times over its handling of the issue. The scandal has already seen the banks pay out substantial compensation,with CBA refunding $119 million to its customers,much more than any other institution.

The 2015 report listed several instances where planners within the bank had charged clients fees after their death.

“Adviser provided advice to a client in 2003 who passed away in 2004,adviser is aware that the client is dead but the ASF [adviser service fee] … continues to be charged,” the report said. “When asked,he said he didn’t know what to do and had contacted the public trustee but didn’t hear back. Depending on outcome,recommend possible warning to adviser.”

Another planner review in the report said:"Ongoing services had not been provided to clients. One client dies in 2007. Contact made with deceased’s wife in 2013 but no action taken.” The report added the planner should be given a formal warning.

Counsel assisting the commission,Michael Hodge,QC,told the commission that yet another planner review in the report found one planner had provided no advice to any of his clients at all.

“This is another one of the advisers receiving an ongoing service fees for a client who has passed away. He has provided no advice to her nor to her estate,” Mr Hodge said.

CBA has since refunded the fees,with interest,to the families of the affected customers.

“We owe the families of our deceased customers a sincere apology,not only for the oversight and the length of time to resolve this but for what happened in the first place.” said CBA spokesman Danny John.

Mr Hodge read out extracts from the report while quizzing CBA's executive director,private bank,Marianne Perkovic,about the bank’s reporting breaches.

The 2015 report came after the bank reported that it had breached its licence to the Australian Securities and Investments Commission in 2014. On Wednesday,the royal commission heard CBA had evidence of the breach in 2012 but did not tell the regulator until 2014.

Ms Perkovic,who had beenchallenged over the quality over her testimony on Tuesday,told the royal commission that the bank was still determining whether its fee for no service issues were significant enough to report to ASIC.

On Thursday,Ms Perkovic was being more direct with her answers to questions but was still accused of “obfuscating” in her answers by Mr Hodge.

Mr Hodge asked Ms Perkovic why CBA did not separately report the planners to ASIC rather than just issue warnings.

Ms Perkovic said some of CBA’s responses to the report on Count were still being worked through by the teams set up within the bank to review possible breaches. CBA’s planning division has a final review panel to assess whether to make a breach report to ASIC.

“You would have instances[of possible breaches] and depending on the issues it would then come up for review,” Ms Perkovic said. “The team here would look at this. They would work with our line two risk management,which is outside of the[planning] business and make a determination if it needs to go up to the breach panel process,” Ms Perkovic added.

The hearing continues.

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