A major New Zealand fundraiser and his company based in Napier evaded taxes of well over $100,000, the Napier District Court was told yesterday. The sum, of $137,184, was revealed by Inland Revenue Department counsel after entrepreneur Paul David John Minter, who now lives in Christchurch, and his company Fondo PtyLtd pleaded guilty to a total of 129 charges tax evasion. The IRD says they failed to account for PAYE deductions, failed to file GST returns and filed false GST and income tax returns. Each charge is liable for a fine of up to $50,000, and punishable by imprisonment for up to five years. The IRD said Minter arrived in New Zealand from Australia in 1999 and, operating through Fondo and a second company, Protel Marketing Ltd, began working as a self-employed promoter. He worked in conjunction with Rotary and Lions clubs throughout New Zealand (the "sponsor"), and a company known as International Entertainment(NZ) Ltd and (Aust) Pty Ltd (the "producer"), providing fundraising services and children's festivals. Minter engaged in the management of showbusiness telemarketing, through Fondo and his other company, Protel Marketing Ltd, hiring and training telemarketers and couriers. He was also responsible for collecting funds and banking them into the accounts of the clubs, from which he received cash cheques, and deposited some of the proceeds into a personal account. It had resulted in GST and income tax of $111,630 being evaded, while Minter and the companies had also not accounted for $25,554 PAYE deducted from the earnings of telemarketers and couriers. Judge Michael Hobbs granted Minter bail and remanded him to appear in the Christchurch District Court on October 3 for sentence.
