Warren Patterson knew he owed the Inland Revenue some back taxes - but he was floored when he received a bill for $7 million.
"When it first came I felt like crying, then I realised it was a mistake and I just had to laugh," said the 22-year-old Hawera man.
The statement
said Mr Patterson had accumulated the $7.2 million debt since April last year through late-payment penalties.
After phoning the Inland Revenue four times with little success, Mr Patterson passed the tax statements to a local accountant to sort out.
"In the end I had to pay them [Inland Revenue] $300. Then they sent me a cheque for $117, saying I had paid too much." It cost him a further $500 in accountant's fees.
The Inland Revenue declined to explain why the mistake had happened. In a written statement, it said the matter had arisen as a result of an error.
