Businesswoman detained at home

The Waihi District Court sentenced a Coromandel based businesswoman to seven months home detention and ordered her to perform 200 hours of community service for cheating the Inland Revenue Department (IRD) of about $75,000.

Georgie Jensen of Thames pleaded guilty to 13 charges of non-payment of PAYE and other offences relating to non-remittance of deducted money.

IRD Revenue Assurance Manager Graham Pomeroy said the defendant stole money from her employees and enjoyed the benefits.

Ms Jensen was the sole director and shareholder of New Zealand Rigging Services Limited and failed to meet her PAYE obligations from March 2008 to May 2009.

“She was also an employee of the Company and hence such enjoyed the benefit of $18,527.25 PAYE that had been deducted from her wages and not returned to IRD.

“The Department received only $7000 as PAYE deductions since the Company was incorporated in 2007,” he said.

He said Ms Jensen owed $74,016.69 to IRD but no reparations were sought, since the defendant was unemployed.

“Failure to meet PAYE obligations is a breach of trust between the director and the employees. But in this case, it was not only PAYE but also child support and student loan deductions were involved,” he said.

He said while the New Zealand tax system was based on voluntary compliance, the Department was determined to go after defaulters.

“When taxpayers act against this system, the community as a whole is cheated and the integrity of the tax system is compromised. The community is the true victim here,” Mr Pomeroy said.

Presiding Judge Louis Bidois said the actions of the defendant were “premeditated and deliberate.”