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
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- Inland Revenue warns of party plan pitfalls
- Tax fraudster breached worker trust
- High wealth individuals pay an extra $81 million
- Residential rental property and depreciable items
- 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
- Tsunami donations tax credits
- 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
- Helping you get it right
- Last day for tax returns fast approaching
- Auckland man sentenced on GST fraud charges
- GST fraudster convicted again
- New Plymouth woman jailed for fraud
- Christchurch man sentenced on tax offences
- Extradited tax fraudster sentenced to home detention
- Jail for multimillion dollar tax fraud
- Thousands of people eligible for unclaimed millions
- Inland Revenue appeals High Court decision
- Inland Revenue considers voluntary redundancies
- Talk to us, says Commissioner of Inland Revenue
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- Tax payment date fast approaching
- Former tax agent employee sentenced for fraud
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: 25 Sep 2009
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