FINED £400 FOR FALSE TAX RETURNS

Chronicle (Levin), 26 June 1947, Page 8

FINED £400 FOR FALSE TAX RETURNS

Press Association

By Telearayh-

INVERCARGILL, June 25. Fines totalling £400 vVere iinposed ou Vlbert CoSter in the M'agistrate 'a Oourt on charges of making false re turns of income and giviug false infor ma'tion a'nd attempting to mislead the Commissioner of Taxes in relation to •ncome derived by him. Three charges of making false re ;urns related to the years ended March 31 in 1'913, 1944 and 1945. There was oue eharge of giving false information and oue of attempting to mislead. Defendaut pieaded guilty and Mr. J. R. Mills, who appeared for dei'endant. said Cos:er was the proprietor of the only pasteurised milk plant in South land and traded^mder 'the name of ln vercargil'l Milk Sujlply. He had a large business. Dealing with the charges of making false returns, co'Unsel said that for the year ended March 31, 1943, defendan. returned an income of £704 but actuai income was assessed at £1500. In the following year he returned £1333 and was assessed at £2208. In 1945 he rfe turned £732 and 'was assessed at £2070. The evasion of income, social seeurity and national Seeurity taxes involved !a totaT o!f £1330. Defendant 's aceouiits were lcept by a firm of accountarits, said counsel, but defendant did not reveal to them that he had a second bank account in which he deposited between March and August 1945 a sum of £2392 in notes. Referring to the eharge of giving false informiation Mr. Mills said that When defendant was aslced about the second account he said the amount "barjked had been lent to him by a frien'd wliose ideritity he would not dihclose. Subsequently the true ;position was given to the department by defendant 's a'ccountant. '' ' Every taxp'ayer is at liberty to take proper legal steps to avoid having to pay unneeessary income tax but there is a limit to which a taxpayer can go and thei'e are sofne things he ean't do," said the Magistrate, Mr. Aberne'thy, iti giving decision. He added that it was a bacl ease and the Court must treat il as a very seTious oflenee. JameS -'Short, who pieaded guilty to 'failing to furnish returns of income foi the years 1943, 1944, 1945 and 1940, was fined £20 on each of the four charges.