An Auckland property developer has been sentenced to 4½ years in prison, after being found guilty of tax evasion worth more than $2.1 million.
The Inland Revenue Department says Peng Guan Goh was sentenced in the Auckland District Court on Thursday on seven charges of attempting to evade the assessment and payment of tax.
IRD says Goh claimed and received, large GST refunds on property deals between 2005 and 2008, which his company entered into and failed to settle.
He then failed to repay the outstanding GST amounts and failed to declare GST on properties that he sold on. In one instance, he did not file an income tax return.
The IRD says it was a case of someone who was determined to evade their tax obligations even though they had a thorough understanding of the tax rules.
It says Goh admitted he ignored advice from his solicitor and tax agent and used the money for other purposes including his own discretionary spending.
