Guilty plea to tax charges

Press, 13 September 1988, Page 15

Guilty plea to tax charges

A former Auckland clothing manufacturer, Neil Andrew James, aged 31, pleaded guilty to more charges of knowingly applying amounts totalling $57,343.96 for purposes other than the payment of P.A.Y.E. deductions to the Department of Inland Revenue.

Last month he had pleaded guilty to four similar offences, involving a total of $17,976.96. The 13 charges were adjourned to September 22 for sentence to be imposed.

Probation and community service reports also will be obtained. The offences related to the period from October, 1985, to September, 1986.

Counsel, Mr P. N. Dyhrberg, detailed the circumstances of the offences, and of James’s

business venture, which eventually had failed. He said the company had not been able to pay the money because of financial hardship. The money owed had not gone to some extravagant or profligate purpose.

James subsequently had become bankrupt.

He had moved to Christchurch to make a fresh start in life, Mr Dyhrberg said. Judge Bisphan sought a community service report, saying it would be inappropriate to impose fines, which “could run into thousands of dollars” for such offences.

Community work would be the “most humane” course, rather than imposing further financial strain on the defendant.

Mr M. N. Zarifeh prosecuted for the Department of Inland Revenue.