2007 media releases
Christchurch tourism operators' concern leads to community service for tax evader
6 June 2007
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.
Tae Kyung Moon, aged 46, of Parklands, jointly charged with his company Bluenz Tour Ltd, had earlier pleaded guilty to 60 charges of failing to file tax returns to evade payment of GST and not paying PAYE.
In the Christchurch District Court today Moon was ordered to pay $109,000 in reparation for the unpaid tax. Of that $50,000 had to be paid immediately, while the rest will be paid at $2,000 a month.
The case came to light after other tour operators complained about the way Moon was undercutting them through tax evasion.
Inland Revenue found that Moon had employed 23, 32 and 44 people in the 2004, 2005 and 2006 years, respectively. Mr Moon was told on many occasions by tax officials that he needed to be registered for PAYE and needed to deduct PAYE from the tour guides' wages and pass that money onto Inland Revenue. Moon was also failing to file GST or Income Tax returns.
After the sentencing Inland Revenue Area Manager Lynley Sutherland said the sentence should send a message to other businesses in the sector.
"Businesses which dodge tax make it very hard for honest businesses to compete, "she said. "We owe it to the vast majority of honest businesses out there to take strong action."
Inland Revenue believes the sentence shows that the courts view tax evasion as a serious offence.
Ends
For more information contact
Alison Welch
(04) 890 1698
Other media releases this year
- Draft guidelines released for new R&D tax credit
- Man extradited from Australia to face tax charges
- Working for Families Tax Credits to be made early
- Inland Revenue alerts tax professionals
- 'Money man' behind major tax scam jailed
- Third conviction in Rawleigh tax evasion case
- Samoan chief receives two years' home detention
- Early working for families tax credits scheduled
- Cash businesses are in the spotlight
- Inland Revenue transfers first KiwiSaver funds to scheme providers
- Late filers advised to contact Inland Revenue
- Wellington Inland Revenue staff to centralise
- Christchurch businessman fined $20,000 on tax charges
- Hamilton JP jailed for two years for $1.1 million tax evasion
- Businessman pleads guilty to $1.3 million in tax charges
- Jail term extended for Tauranga tax evader
- Inland Revenue offers Language Line
- Inland Revenue wins prestigious IT award
- Inland Revenue simplifies tax with Business Is Booming
- Inland Revenue reassures people affected by weather
- Customers urged to contact Inland Revenue
- Inland Revenue issues GST statement on unconditional property sale agreements
- KiwiSaver information readily available from Inland Revenue
- Scott Anderson bankrupted for unpaid debt of $13 million
- Inland Revenue welcomes 'Trinity' court ruling
- Inland Revenue welcomes prison sentence for GST fraud
- Levin man sent to jail over $45,000 in GST fraud
- Businessman who "undercut the opposition" jailed for tax fraud
- Accountant's low profits prompted tax audit
- "Not a lot" of effort to pay taxes results in jail term for tax evasion
- Tiler in court for keeping staff tax payments
- Northland flood victims should call if having problems with tax payments
- Tax agent fined $10,000 for refusing to cooperate with Inland Revenue
- Early Working for Families Tax Credits payments
- Nelson man in court for not passing on employees' tax payments
- Tax season underway
- Businesses foolish to try to suppress details of income
- Dairy owner in court for cheating on taxes over seven years
- Two years' prison for 146 tax offences
- Refusing to cooperate with Inland Revenue lands couple in court
- Prison sentence upholds integrity of tax system, says Inland Revenue
- Early family assistance payments
- Tax payments due on 7 February
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: 06 Jun 2007
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