FALSE RETURNS OF INCOME

Press, Volume XCII, Issue 27733, 10 August 1955, Page 16

FALSE RETURNS OF INCOME

EVASION OF £1978 IN TAXES CARRIER FINED £5OO (New Zealand Prest Association) WANGANUI. August 9. Fines of £5OO on 10 charges of wilfully making false returns of income were imposed by Mr S. S. Preston, S.M., in the Wanganui Magistrate’s Court today, on Robert Francis George Hawkins, a carrier. Mr R. N. Bain, for the Inland Revenue Department, said that from 1945 to 1954, Hawkins’s returns gave his total income as £7776, but investigation showed that it was £ 14,291. Income tax paid by Hawkins during the 10 years had been deficient by £l4°”. As well, he had escaped paying £540 in social security tax. The investigation of Hawkins’s accounts showed that his assets had been increased by about £lO,OOO. The false returns had been made by suppressing receipts. When first questioned about it, Hawkins claimed receipts of money from racing, but lafer claimed he had been muddled. The books he had were well kept. The tax evaded had been paid yesterday. Mr Bain added. Mr R. S. Withers said that Hawkins had always worked on his own as a carrier and had kept his own books. It seemed he had got into a muddle, and had got out of it. He did not drink or smoke, and was a careful, thrifty person. He grew his own vegetables and kept fowls, so that household expenditure had been kept low. It was apparent that Hawkins was an astute businessman, who watched every pound, the Magistrate said. He was quite capable of putting in a simple and truthful statement. “This is a suitable case for imprisonment, and is indicative of what is going on throughout the country under the present provision of the Act,” the * Magistrate added,