Auckland accountant jailed for tax fraud dating back to turn of century

Alice Jardinero Monzon, 67, pleaded guilty to nine representative charges under the Crimes Act primarily related to the returns she provided for clients. Photo / File

An Auckland accountant has been jailed for tax fraud dating back to the turn of the century, which saw her receive more than $700,000 she wasn't entitled to.

Alice Jardinero Monzon, 67, was sentenced in the Manukau District Court yesterday to two years and nine months in prison, and ordered to pay $10,000 in reparation.

Monzon pleaded guilty to nine representative charges under the Crimes Act primarily related to the returns she provided for clients but also to personal GST and income tax returns where she substantially under reported her income.

"She essentially ripped off New Zealand taxpayers for nine years from 2000 to 2009 by filing more than 5,000 fraudulent returns for various tax types, and many more forms to IR, for more than 950 taxpayers," Inland Revenue spokesperson Tony Morris said.

In total, Monzon received $703,573.07 she wasn't entitled to during that time.

"It's a very complex case with no obvious mitigating features and resulted in a more than $2-million dollar loss to the Commissioner of Inland Revenue.

"Most clients were participants in one network marketing scheme, and they placed their trust in her as their accountant. Yet nearly 100 separate refunds for clients were paid into the defendant's bank accounts and it appears only 40 were forwarded to clients."

Monzon, who was never registered as a tax agent with Inland Revenue, worked in the accounting industry in New Zealand for at least 20 years.

She continued to provide "accounting" services to clients even after she applied for and was adjudged bankrupt in August 2012.

Monzon is the second accountant this month to be sent to prison for tax fraud.

Hamilton chartered accountant Megan Nyree Findlay was jailed for three years after stealing $740,000 from the Inland Revenue Department over seven years.