2005 media releases
Auckland consultant gets 12 months in jail for GST fraud
11 August 2005
An Auckland tax and property consultant was yesterday sentenced to 12 months in prison, in a case that demonstrates computers can hold important evidence in tax prosecutions.
William Henry Hawken was yesterday sentenced in the Manukau District Court to 12 months in prison after earlier being found guilty of six charges relating to GST fraud on property deals. He was found guilty on one count of forgery, one of tax evasion and four counts of using a document to obtain pecuniary advantage. The Crown sought reparation of $120,000.
The Court heard that Hawken, who controlled three different companies, wrongly claimed GST refunds. This included using fake invoices and altering documents to support other GST claims; and claiming GST back twice on the purchase of one property. The frauds involved one Queenstown and three Northland properties.
As part of the investigation police, working with Inland Revenue officers, seized Hawken's computer to obtain some of the evidence needed. In a pre-trial hearing last July the defendant challenged the admissibility of evidence from the computer seized by police. However, in the hearing Justice Singh found the search and seizure was lawful, allowing the case to proceed.
Inland Revenue Auckland Service Centre Manager Loraine Elliott said: "These were cynical and blatant frauds, carried out over a number of years. Tracing the pattern of fraud and locating the evidence took a great deal of work from our investigators, and it is very pleasing that the Courts have now stated plainly that evidence obtained from the computer seized by police is valid and admissible. Tax fraud is a serious crime - it not only robs the national revenue, but also makes it harder for honest businesses to compete on an even footing. Today's sentence reflects the seriousness of this: people who try to commit tax fraud will get caught and punished appropriately."
Anyone concerned that their tax affairs may not be in order should contact Inland Revenue as early as possible. There are often 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
- 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
- Forged GST claim leads to eight-month prison sentence
- 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
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Date published: 11 Aug 2005
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