Two men read get rich quick and identity fraud books before hatching a scheme to cheat the tax office, an Adelaide court has been told.

Aaron William Toon, 29, and Daniel Stephen Hadley, 30, have been jailed for fraudulently registering 30 companies online in 2011 and receiving about $200,000 in GST refunds from the Australian Tax Office (ATO).

The court heard a police search found nine books with titles including Catch Me If You Can, Cover Your Tracks Without Changing Your Identity, How to Disappear Until You Want to be Found and Hide Your Assets and Disappear.

It heard Hadley had compiled lists with goals including buying a luxury car and a boat and getting liposuction, laser hair removal and a nose job.

He also wanted to buy property and a Rolex watch, his lists revealed.

The fraud came unstuck when a wallet containing fake ID was lost at Port Noarlunga in Adelaide's south.

Someone picked it up and tracked down the person whose name was being used fraudulently.

Judge said each offender blamed the other

Judge Steven Millsteed said the men had acted out of a "desire for a luxurious lifestyle" and there was a "conflict between the two of you as to who first came up with the idea of defrauding the ATO".

"Each of you blames the other. In my view it does not matter because it's clear that once raised, the concept was keenly embraced by the other," he said.

"Tax fraud is not a victimless crime, the victims are the taxpayers.

"Those who systematically defraud ... must in general expect a substantial custodial sentence."

The court heard Toon had been motivated in part by a desire to provide for his partner and two young children but the judge said Hadley had been driven by "pure greed" and had been "vain, self-centred and avaricious".

Almost all the proceeds from the crime had been recovered, the court heard.

Toon was jailed for five years and six months, with a non-parole term of two years and six months.

Hadley was sentenced to six years and five months in jail, but will become eligible to seek parole in three years and four months.

Both sentences have been backdated to June, when the men's bail was revoked.