S.M. ADJOURNS TAX CASE

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29273, 3 August 1960, Page 6

S.M. ADJOURNS TAX CASE

Statement Made By Commissioner (New Zealand Press Association) HAMILTON, Aug. 2. The statement had been made recently that the Commissioner of Taxes knew far more about offenders in taxation cases than did the court which heard the cases, said Mr L. M. Inglis, S.M., in the Magistrate’s Court at Hamilton today. If such was the case then it was totally wrong, he said. “I am going to adjourn the hearing of this case,’’ he told counsel for the Inland Revenue Department (Mr P. Feenstra). “This will allow time for the Commissioner to assure you that all the relevant facts in the case have been placed before the Court and for you to then similarly assure me.’’ The case was one in which a Te Mata farmer, Reginald James Bregmen (Mr P. D. Chatwin) admitted 10 charges of wilfully furnishing false returns of income.

The Magistrate adjourned the hearing when Mr Feenstra had completed his outline of the facts and before Mr Chatwin had addressed the court on behalf of Bregmen. Mr Feenstra said the charges covered the years 1940-58 inclusive. A total income of £20,082 had been returned over this period, whereas the income ascertained by the investigating officer was £32,654 a discrepancy of £12,572. “A total of £5169 in Income tax and £955 in Social Security charges was evaded,'* Mr Feenstra said. I