Hon Peter Dunne
Minister of Revenue

17 April 2013

Dunne: 1170 tax evasion cases for nearly $200m in two years

Inland Revenue successfully pursued 1170 cases for just short of $200 million in evaded taxes in the two years to June 2012, Revenue Minister Peter Dunne said today.

“I trust these figures will end the bizarre fiction from Labour that the Government is tough on welfare fraud, but soft on tax evasion,” Mr Dunne said.

“The fact that Labour is virtually defending welfare fraudsters as victims because the Government supposedly does not go after tax evaders with the same vigour is a bizarre argument anyway, but quite aside from that, these figures show they could not be more wrong.

“In the year to June 2012, Inland Revenue closed 513 cases for $82.6 million in evaded taxes, and in the 12 months prior to that, it was even more impressive with 657 cases resolved for $115.4 million in undeclared taxes – that is a total of $198 million.

“Now if that is the Government being soft on tax evaders, I will eat my hat,” he said.

“Labour needs to start dealing in facts, and the Arderns and the Cunliffes need to rethink the rubbish they are spouting on tax and welfare.

“New Zealanders want fairness. They want beneficiaries to receive what they need when they need it, and they want people to pay their fair share of tax – not a cent more, not a cent less.

“This Government is clearly making that happen on both fronts,” Mr Dunne said.

Budget 2012 provided Inland Revenue with an extra $78.4 million over the next four years to bolster its successful tax compliance activities in dealing with the hidden economy, debt collection, aggressive tax planning and following up on unfiled returns, while Budget 2010 had previously seen $119.3 million committed over four years for the department to strengthen its compliance and debt activities.

“We are getting a very successful return on that investment,” Mr Dunne said.

ENDS

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