LAND TAX

New Zealand Times, Volume LI, Issue 11873, 5 July 1924, Page 5

LAND TAX

FAILURE TO FURNISH DEPARTMENT XXAtJG'TJRATE CAMPAIGN OP 1 PROSECUTION. PENALTY FOB, NEGLIGENCE.

Recent failures to furnish, to the Commiasio ijer of Taxes sbaiteiments of land assessable for land tax have put the department to a amount of trouble. As a result of tihiis the commissioner is inaugurating a campaign against defaulters in this respect. The first of a series of prosecutions was conducted at the Magistrate’s Court yesterday before Mr E. Page, S.M. Mr J. A. Tudftope, who appeared for the department, said that there were eight informations laid, but in no case was it suggested that the defendants had endeavoured to evade the tax. It might be a question of mere neglect, but it was this neglect which caused a great amount of additional expense on the taxation department as well as on the country. For some time past default assessments had been frequent, and last year something like 12,600 were made. In this way tike department was put to' a great deal of additional expense. The commissioner had notified all those liable to payment through various mediums, but it was found that the most effective means of giving the matter publicity was to prosecute the detaulteirs.

Walter Andrews, for whom the department had been forced to make a default assessment over the past four years, was fined £8 and costs. Monty William Adams, for whom default assessments had been aaade since 1919, wts fined £2 and costs. Two brothers, Frank andl Thomas Boffa, whom Mr L. A. Tracey declared were rather ignorant of their obligations than negligent, add the former of whom had made no returns since 1918 and the latter from 1917, were each- fined £8 and costs. William Duncan was fined £2 and costs, and Arthur John Bigg, who had had default assessments made in 1918, 1920-21-22-23, was fined £3 and costs. Henry Lemon Bryenbon, who had bad default assessments made since 1918, was fined £8 and costs.