Duty on cup a mistake

Press, 5 October 1984, Page 29

Duty on cup a mistake

PA Wellington Auckland customs officials have been told to refund $2256 duty which a Wellington man was charged to bring the Marlboro Cup, a horse racing trophy, into New Zealand.

Mr Bernie Vanston, whose wife, Helen, is part-owner of the horse, King Phoenix, said that when he returned to New Zealand on Sunday he was told to pay the duty or have the cup impounded. King Phoenix won the Marlboro Cup at Caulfield, in Melbourne, last Thursday. The event is a main race of

the Melbourne spring racing carnival. In spite of a Customs Department ruling that trophies and awards won overseas through skill can be brought back duty-free, customs officers insisted on payment of $2256 duty. Mr Vanston has said he declared the gold and silver cup on the declaration form when he arrived and did not expect problems. f ‘But the woman officer I

showed it to called her supervisor who said I would have to pay 84 per cent duty and sales tax, or else it would be impounded,” he said. “I just about threw it at him. I was shocked. Finally he agreed to 20 per cent sales tax and reduced the duty to 47.5 per cent of the cup’s value, which he worked out at $4BOO. “That came to $2256.1 did not have that sort of cash

on me so I handed over my credit card, which has no credit limit.

They would not accept it until they had checked my credit rating,” said Mr Vanston. “The whole affair took the shine off winning. I have since heard from the news media that cus-

toms will refund the money, but I am still waiting to hear it officially,” he said. A Customs Department

spokesman in Wellington confirmed that a mistake had been made and that the

duty would be refunded. King Phoenix is owned by Mr Vanston’s wife, Helen, Mr Graeme Mitchinson, and Mr Mike MacKinnon. The horse has done all of his racing in Australia

The Marlboro Cup race, worth sNZlll,Boo plus the trophy, is King Phoenix’s biggest win.