2007 media releases
Man extradited from Australia to face tax charges
19 December 2007
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.
Christopher Goldsmith had earlier pleaded guilty to 69 charges of filing false GST returns.
He was arrested in August 2006 and fled to Australia in September that year while on bail.
Following a joint investigation with the Australian Tax Office, Goldsmith was arrested in Melbourne in August 2007 and extradited back to New Zealand.
Investigations Manager Richard Philp said this case demonstrated that tax fraudsters could not avoid their punishment simply by leaving the country after committing their crime.
"We work closely with our colleagues at the Australian Tax Office to ensure that fraudsters can be caught and punished, even when they leave New Zealand."
Mr Goldsmith incorporated 11 companies, 10 of which used the identities of other people as directors and shareholders without their knowledge. All these companies claimed GST refunds totalling $243,026.
Mr Philp said that aggravating factors in the case were the high level of premeditation, the sophistication of the operation, the use of innocent peoples' identities, and the repetitive nature of the fraud.
Other media releases this year
- Draft guidelines released for new R&D tax credit
- 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
- Christchurch tourism operators' concern leads to community service for tax evader
- 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
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Date published: 19 Dec 2007
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