“OFFICIALLY DEAD”

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXII, Issue 193, 30 July 1932, Page 8

“OFFICIALLY DEAD”

PLIGHT OF BUSINESS MAN STRANGE CIRCUMSTANCES. TROUBLE WITH TAXATION DEPARTMENT. Christchurch, July 29. To be “officially dead’’ is the annoying position in which one well-known Greymouth and Christchurch businessman finds himself. Try as he will, he cannot make the Income Tax Department appreciate the fact that he is still very much alive, and is, and has been for well over 30 years, a regular contributor to income tax revenue.

He appears to have been the victim of a most peculiar set of circumstances and apart from receiving letters and accounts calling him “deceased’ and referring to his own estate as “deceased's estate,’ he is annoyed to think that further mistakes of other kinds have also been made, while the department still insist sthat he is “officially dead.” ANNOUNCEMENT OF DEATH About twelve months ago, in spite of the fact that this businessman has rather an uncommon name, he received notice from the Income Tax Department, addressed to his estate, and announcing officially that hq was dead. So far as the department was concerned, the principal complaint was that “the deceased's estate” had not furnished a return for the year. “Deceased,” being still alive, was indignant, and told the department so m his letter, which also explained that the man referred to had sent in returns long before that. The protest did not draw a reply, but three months later the department sent another letter again addressed to “the Estate of ,” and saying that as no return had been made as requested, it had been assessed at £4OO approximately. Again a reply was sent, explaining that there was no such thing as “Estate of Mr So-and-so,” as mentioned, but that “Mr So-and-so” was alive, had furnished returns, and paid income tax on £BOO approximately.

FURTHER CONFUSION. A further period passed, and then a receipt for money paid as tax on about £BOO by the gentleman concerned was received at his address. It was addressed “Miss So-and-so,” instead of “Mr officially dead,’’ though alive.

With his estate being pressed for a return by the department, and with his receipts beng returned addressed to an unknown woman namesake, the man was very perturbed. He made one more appeal to the department to acknowledge that he was not dead. To this day, the department has not admitted the fact, and to add insult to injury, another letter from the department has been received claiming tax from the Estate of the late Mr So-and-so” on 150 acres of land allegedly sold. A letter also asked for names of “Mr So-and-so’s” beneficiaries, and their shares in the estate. He is still alive, and has never sold the area of land as alleged.