2010 media releases
Home detention for tax scammer
30 July 2010
An Auckland woman was sentenced to 11 months home detention when she appeared in the Auckland District Court today. She had earlier pleaded guilty to 42 charges of fraudulently obtaining personal tax rebates, Working for Families (Family Support) payments and other tax credits.
She made fraudulent claims of $108,137.
Inland Revenue Investigations Manager, Assurance, Tracey Lloyd said Maryann Leilua (formerly known as Maryann Fa'amuli) abused her position of trust in assisting various members of her church, friends and family members from the Cook Island and Samoan communities with tax, rebate and family support documents.
"A number of those people were elderly, didn't speak English as a first language and had difficulty reading English. Maryann Leilua filled in their Inland Revenue forms, had them sign the forms, but then used the personal information gained to impersonate those taxpayers in dealing with Inland Revenue," she said.
Between 1999 and 2005 Leilua, a self employed interpreter for district health boards in the Auckland area, either claimed personal tax rebates by impersonating the people she represented or by acting as their nominated person to make additional Working for Families claims and personal tax rebate claims in their name (without their knowledge).
By understating her own income Leilua also received excess family support payments.
"Leilua diverted most of the end of year payments to her own bank account or to her husband's. When Inland Revenue required receipts to be provided Mrs Leilua provided false receipts in support of the child care rebates claimed and altered valid receipts for donations made.
"Leilua cheated taxpayers out of more than one hundred thousand dollars. She is now paying the price for her scam. Anyone else claiming this sort of assistance when they're not entitled to it should realise we will catch up with them," Ms Lloyd said.
For further information:
Graham McKerracher
(04) 890 1743
(029) 890 1743
graham.mckerracher@ird.govt.nz
Other media releases this year
- Greymouth taxpayers concerned about provisional tax and GST urged to contact Inland Revenue
- Inland Revenue announces changes to service delivery
- Revenue Alert on "cloud computing" and tax records
- Greymouth people and businesses encouraged to seek help
- More tax statistics available online
- Busy online trading prompts tax reminder
- Tax offender used new identity to obtain GST refunds
- Inland Revenue wins Government category in 2010 Open Source Awards
- Care urged over property GST claims
- Unclaimed millions list updated
- More than two years jail for Auckland accountant
- Student gets five months home detention for GST fraud
- Canterbury businesses reminded to ask for help
- Inland Revenue recognised twice in 2010 Māori Language Awards
- Builder gets community service for tax evasion
- Home detention for tax agent
- Repayment holiday ends for overseas borrowers
- Routine traffic check ends tax evasion
- Hoax email and phishing site warning
- Home detention for tax evasion
- Contractor jailed for tax evasion
- Inland Revenue wins 2010 NetGuide Award
- Renting out your home - tax obligations
- Hoax email warning
- Man jailed for tax credit fraud
- Getting Your Tax Right - Compliance Focus 2010-11
- Last chance to change tax policy
- Company director fined for tax evasion
- Inland Revenue sets sights on undeclared offshore income
- Hoax email warning issued
- Company director jailed for tax evasion
- Revenue Alert on diverting personal income released
- Tax online gets even easier
- Plasterer sentenced for tax offences
- Takeaway owner gets home detention for tax evasion
- Tax return date getting close
- GST fraud brings home detention
- Advice over GST rate change
- GST fraudster jailed
- Property developer jailed for tax evasion
- Warning over hoax email
- Orewa College student wins Inland Revenue award
- Donations tax cheat receives home detention
- Tax information at your fingertips
- Sentence a warning for food industry
- Options available for end-of-year tax payments
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: 02 Aug 2010
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