2005 media releases
Forged GST claim leads to eight-month prison sentence
3 June 2005
Inland Revenue welcomes the eight-month sentence for tax evasion the Tauranga District Court has handed down to a local man today.
Matthew Laing, director of Greenwood Homes Limited, had earlier pleaded guilty to a charge of filing false returns.
Laing provided falsified documents to Inland Revenue, which falsely indicated his company had purchased $750,000 worth of Taupo property and claiming $83,333 in GST refunds.
"We welcome the stance the courts are continuing to take on deliberate tax evasion," Inland Revenue Acting Service Centre Manager Darren Ryder says.
"This is a deliberate attempt to defraud the system and create an unfair advantage over honest operators. New Zealand businesses deserve a level playing field. This is something New Zealand's courts take very seriously."
"Those who deliberately flout the law are a small minority of taxpayers but we will continue to take a firm approach with this group," adds Mr Ryder.
This is the second sentence for tax evasion in Tauranga this week. Yesterday, the Tauranga District Court sentenced Pritpal Randhawa, the director of an agricultural contracting company, to seven months jail on two charges of providing false information to Inland Revenue.
Anyone concerned that their tax affairs may not be in order should contact Inland Revenue as early as possible. There are penalties for unpaid tax, but these can be reduced significantly through voluntary compliance.
Other media releases this year
- Tip-off leads to jail sentence for dishonest tax agent
- Family assistance payments to be available early
- Inland Revenue releases new tax rules for people who host boarders
- GST fraud gets jail sentence for Auckland property developer
- Inland Revenue seeks owners of forgotten money
- Family Assistance Payments to be made early
- High Wealth programme brings in millions of extra tax dollars
- Identity theft, fraud lead to jail for Palmerston North man
- Reimbursement for the use of a private motor vehicle
- Hamilton man sentenced on tax fraud
- Auckland consultant gets 12 months in jail for GST fraud
- Inland Revenue signs Hewlett Packard to supply Notebook Computers
- Tauranga man jailed for horticultural tax evasion
- New Zealand and Australian tax help for business
- Salary and wage earners: are you entitled to a tax refund?
- Some seasonal workers entitled to tax refunds
- Auckland barrister jailed for tax evasion
- Inland Revenue reminding Marlborough agriculturalists
- Inland Revenue Appoints Chief Information Officer (IT)
- Incident at Upper Hutt Processing Centre
- Inland Revenue offers help to flood affected BOP businesses
- Auckland Man jailed for tax fraud
- Inland Revenue releases view on HHG capital reduction proposals
- Prison sentence for tax evasion
- Early Family Assistance Payments
- Nine years of tax evasion brings 18 month sentence for New Plymouth bricklayer
- Tax season now underway
- Are you eligible for a childcare rebate?
- Early Family Assistance Payments
- Inland Revenue signs agreement with TelstraClear
- Inland Revenue cautions against income splitting by professionals
- Inland Revenue welcomes sentence for Hamilton PAYE offence
- Cambridge students scoop national award for tax knowledge
- US, NZ agree on tax treatment of fiscally transparent entities
- 7 February payment deadline
- Theft of Westpac courier bag - advice to taxpayers and other Inland Revenue customers
- Inland Revenue not letting up on BoP tax evasion
- Inland Revenue outlines rebate claim process for tsunami donations
- Inland Revenue welcomes sentence in $40,000 evasion case
Corporate Affairs
Inland Revenue
To make a media query:
Phone 04 890 1698 or email mediaqueries@ird.govt.nz
Please note, the email address is only for enquiries from the news media. It is monitored during normal business hours 8am - 5pm Monday to Friday.
P O Box 2198
Wellington 6140
New Zealand
Date published: 07 Jun 2005
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