2007 media releases

Date	Title and description
20 December 2007	Draft guidelines released for new R&D tax credit
	Inland Revenue has released draft guidelines for businesses wishing to apply for the new 15 per cent research and development (R&D) tax credit.
19 December 2007	Man extradited from Australia to face tax charges
	A man extradited from Australia to face tax charges totalling more than $240,000 was today sentenced to two years and four months imprisonment in the Auckland District Court.
18 December 2007	Working for Families Tax Credits to be made early
	Working for Families Tax Credit payments will be available earlier over the Christmas and New Year period.
6 December 2007	Inland Revenue alerts tax professionals
	Inland Revenue has launched Revenue Alerts - an early warning service for tax professionals designed to highlight any significant or emerging areas of concern.
27 November 2007	'Money man' behind major tax scam jailed
	Inland Revenue is welcoming the jail term of five years and nine months handed down to Mohammed Wasim for his part in a horticultural industry tax fraud involving more than $15 million.
23 November 2007	Third conviction in Rawleigh tax evasion case
	Former Rawleigh ML Marketing Limited (RML) managing director Wilbour Terrence Rawleigh has been sentenced to 12 months home detention after being convicted of tax evasion involving $539,123.
24 October 2007	Samoan chief receives two years' home detention
	Samoan paramount chief, former Samoan MP and company director Seminary Iakopo Fepuleai was sentenced last week to two years' home detention for tax evasion.
15 October 2007	Early working for families tax credits scheduled
	Inland Revenue will make working for families tax credits payments earlier because of Labour Day.
11 October 2007	Cash businesses are in the spotlight
	JB Superette's Harish Chandra Mistry was granted home detention last month after being sentenced to nine months imprisonment in the Hamilton District Court. He had earlier pleaded guilty to 31 charges of filing false GST and income tax returns.
4 October 2007	Inland Revenue transfers first KiwiSaver funds to scheme providers
	Inland Revenue began sending the first KiwiSaver funds to scheme providers this week.
3 October 2007	Late filers advised to contact Inland Revenue
	Customers who have not filed July 7 tax returns are urged to contact Inland Revenue or a tax agent, or visit Inland Revenue’s website for further information.
20 September 2007	Wellington Inland Revenue staff to centralise
	Inland Revenue has today signed a tenancy agreement confirming the department as the head tenant of the development under construction at 1 Featherston Street, Wellington.
20 August 2007	Christchurch businessman fined $20,000 on tax charges
	Inland Revenue said today a $20,000 fine issued to a Christchurch businessman, who failed to pass on his employees' PAYE tax, sent an important message to business owners.
17 August 2007	Hamilton JP jailed for two years for $1.1 million tax evasion
	A Hamilton JP and businessman received a two-year jail sentence in the Hamilton District Court today for tax evasion of more than $1.1 million. He was given leave to apply for home detention.
16 August 2007	Businessman pleads guilty to $1.3 million in tax charges
	Wellington businessman James Stewart Thwaites was convicted yesterday of tax charges totalling more than $1.3 million.
8 August 2007	Jail term extended for Tauranga tax evader
	Orchard worker Bhupinder Singh was sentenced yesterday in the Tauranga District Court to a further eight months in prison after pleading guilty to fraud and tax evasion charges totalling $80,470.
6 August 2007	Inland Revenue offers Language Line
	Inland Revenue is offering Language Line, a free interpretation service featuring 39 languages, to customers whose first language is not English.
3 August 2007	Inland Revenue wins prestigious IT award
	Inland Revenue's Telecommunications Review Project has won Most Successful Project Implementation of the Year at this year's Computerworld Excellence Awards.
26 July 2007	Inland Revenue simplifies tax with Business Is Booming
	Inland Revenue is backing Business is Booming, which returns to New Zealand's television screens this week.
11 July 2007	Inland Revenue reassures people affected by weather
	Inland Revenue has set up a special emergency hotline for people who are concerned about the impact of the North Island weather bomb on their tax obligations.
6 July 2007	Customers urged to contact Inland Revenue
	Business and individual customers who missed making end-of-year, Student Loan or Working for Families Tax Credit payments earlier this year are urged to contact Inland Revenue immediately.
5 July 2007	Inland Revenue issues GST statement on unconditional property sale agreements
	The Commissioner of Inland Revenue has decided that an unconditional property sale and purchase agreement is not an invoice and does not trigger GST requirements.
29 June 2007	KiwiSaver information readily available from Inland Revenue
	All the information employers and individuals need about KiwiSaver is readily available, says Inland Revenue Deputy Commissioner Colin MacDonald.
18 June 2007	Scott Anderson bankrupted for unpaid debt of $13 million
	Scott Crawford Anderson was bankrupted today for unpaid tax debts of $13,756,234.76.
13 June 2007	Inland Revenue welcomes 'Trinity' court ruling
	Inland Revenue said today it is pleased that two judgments released by the Court of Appeal this week have upheld Inland Revenue's approach to the "Trinity" forestry investment scheme.
6 June 2007	Christchurch tourism operators' concern leads to community service for tax evader
	A Christchurch tour operator who ran coach tours around the South Island for Korean tourists was today (subs: June 6) sentenced to 250 hours of community service after earlier pleading guilty to tax charges
25 May 2007	Inland Revenue welcomes prison sentence for GST fraud
	A Nelson businessman was jailed today for 18 months on three charges of GST fraud totalling $81,211.
25 May 2007	Levin man sent to jail over $45,000 in GST fraud
	A Levin resident was today sentenced to five months in prison after pleading guilty to six charges of fraudulently using a document to receive GST refunds.
25 May 2007	Businessman who "undercut the opposition" jailed for tax fraud
	Business people who cheat the tax system are undercutting honest businesses, Inland Revenue said today after an Auckland man was jailed for two and a half years for fraud.
14 May 2007	Accountant's low profits prompted tax audit
	Suspicions about an accountant who was not making a profit led to an Inland Revenue investigation that concluded in the Rotorua District Court today with a sentence of 150 hours of community service.
6 May 2007	"Not a lot" of effort to pay taxes results in jail term for tax evasion
	A Waitakere man was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment yesterday (3 May) after pleading guilty to tax evasion totalling nearly $150,000.
30 April 2007	Tiler in court for keeping staff tax payments
	A Christchurch man was fined a total of $7920 in the Christchurch District court today on tax fraud charges.
3 April 2007	Northland flood victims should call if having problems with tax payments
	Inland Revenue today encouraged people to phone in as soon as possible if they have lost their tax records, or have other tax issues related to the recent flooding in Northland.
30 March 2007	Tax agent fined $10,000 for refusing to cooperate with Inland Revenue
	A Blenheim tax agent was fined $10,000 yesterday in the Blenheim District Court for refusing to supply information to Inland Revenue.
29 March 2007	Early Working for Families Tax Credits payments
	Because of the Easter holiday, Inland Revenue will make the Working for Families Tax Credits (previously family assistance) weekly and fortnightly payment on Friday, 6 April, instead of the normal scheduled payment date of Tuesday, 10 April 2007.
22 March 2007	Nelson man in court for not passing on employees' tax payments
	A Richmond, Nelson, man was today sentenced to 300 hours community service for taking PAYE taxes from his employees' wages but not passing the tax onto the Inland Revenue.
16 March 2007	Tax season underway
	With the end of year tax season now underway, Inland Revenue is reminding taxpayers of when they'll be sending out their forms.
14 March 2007	Businesses foolish to try to suppress details of income
	Inland Revenue today warned that businesses were foolish to try to cheat on their taxes by lying about their profits.
9 March 2007	Dairy owner in court for cheating on taxes over seven years
	Inland Revenue has welcomed the six-month jail sentence imposed on the owner of the Dinsdale Dairy, prosecuted for hiding details of the Dairy's true turnover.
15 February 2007	Two years' prison for 146 tax offences
	Inland Revenue today welcomed the 25-month prison sentence imposed on a man who cheated on his GST returns to the tune of $250,000 over a four-year period.
7 February 2007	Refusing to cooperate with Inland Revenue lands couple in court
	An ex- Papamoa couple were found guilty and fined $750.00 each plus court costs in the Tauranga District Court today on one charge each of refusing to supply information to the tax department.
23 January 2007	Prison sentence upholds integrity of tax system, says Inland Revenue
	Accountant Henry Ropati was sentenced in the Waitakere District Court today (January 23) after earlier pleading guilty to four charges under the Crimes Act of using a document with intent to defraud
16 January 2007	Early family assistance payments
	Because of Wellington Anniversary weekend, Inland Revenue will make the family assistance weekly payment on Saturday, 20 January, instead of the normal scheduled payment date of Tuesday, 23 January 2007.
10 January 2007	Tax payments due on 7 February
	Business and individual taxpayers are reminded that end-of-year income tax, family assistance and student loan payments are due on 7 February 2007.