2009 media releases
Former Queenstown man jailed on tax evasion charges
25 September 2009
A Dunedin man, formerly from Queenstown, has been jailed for 12 months for evading income tax and goods and service tax.
Thanh Van Tran was sentenced today in the Dunedin District Court after earlier admitting eight charges of failing to file income tax returns, and 16 charges of failing to file GST returns.
The offending took place between November 1999 and September 2007, when Tran owned and operated a tiling and waterproofing business in Queenstown.
Inland Revenue Investigations Manager, Lynley Sutherland, welcomed the sentence.
"It's good news for the Queenstown construction industry. Operators like Tran, who evade tax, are in a position to undercut the honest contractors."
"A firm approach with tax evasion helps restore a level playing field," Ms Sutherland said.
Tran started business in November 1999 and registered for GST straight away. Although he was based in Queenstown, he also operated in Southland, Otago, Rotorua, and Auckland. He filed no income tax or GST returns in the eight years he was in business.
In March 2006, Tran converted his business to a company to avoid deductions of withholding tax from his earnings.
Tran kept no business records, but enquiries with his customers revealed he should have returned income of at least $343,000 in his GST returns, and $324,000 in his income tax returns.
No reparation was sought, because Tran does not have the funds to pay it. Bank records indicate he was a regular customer at casinos.
For further information:
Catherine Delore
(04) 890 1698
(029) 890 1698
catherine.delore@ird.govt.nz
Other media releases this year
- Lower Hutt man sentenced for tax evasion
- Two jailed for multi-million dollar tax fraud
- High Court ruling on Westpac case
- Christchurch man jailed for GST fraud
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- Jail for $5 million tax fraud
- Tiler jailed for $1.6 million tax evasion
- Online service makes tax refunds easier
- Inland Revenue welcomes High Court decision
- Auckland property consultant jailed for tax fraud
- Te Kuiti accountant jailed for 12 months for tax evasion
- Property developer sentenced for GST fraud
- Wellington man sentenced for tax fraud
- Man jailed for GST fraud
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- Jail for multimillion dollar tax fraud
- Thousands of people eligible for unclaimed millions
- Inland Revenue appeals High Court decision
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Corporate Communications
Inland Revenue
For all media enquiries phone: 04 890 1698
For general communications enquiries
Phone: (04) 890 1936
Email: corpcomm@ird.govt.nz
Fax: (04) 498 5809
P O Box 2198
12-22 Hawkestone Street
Wellington
New Zealand
Date published: 25 Sep 2009
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