Christchurch barrister sentenced to home detention

A Christchurch barrister has been sentenced to 5 months home detention on of charges of failing to file GST and income tax returns.

Christopher Persson plead guilty to 22 charges of knowingly failing to file tax returns with the intent to evade GST assessment and payment, and 11 charges involving the non-filing of income tax returns. The charges relate to offending since 2010.

Persson was sentenced in the Wellington District Court on 6 October, 2022.

In 2006 he was convicted of failing to file GST and income tax returns and had received a significant tax write-off from Inland Revenue at that time.

Since 2011, Inland Revenue sent more than 70 different letters or notices about the obligation to file tax returns on time.

Despite this, Persson continued to work as a barrister in the exact same capacity and also continued in his failure to file returns. He claimed the wage subsidy available as part of the government's response to COVID-19.