Carmen Hall: Businesses failing to pay tax is unacceptable

Tauranga and Rotorua companies owe the IRD millions of dollars in unpaid taxes. Photo / File

Numbers and maths aren't my forte.

I'm also not very good when it comes to doing tax. I contracted for a few years and started up my own business before going back to work fulltime.

I found the whole tax system confusing and sought the help of an expert. But I can see how it would be really easy to get into trouble. Big trouble.

From 2017 to July 26, 2019, 89 Tauranga and Rotorua companies were taken to the high courts as they collectively owed more than $14 million.

Tax Link director Allan Wells said often businesses who got into trouble were using the IRD as their bank thinking they could trade their way through it.

He said about 70 to 80 per cent of businesses that went bust did because they owed tax and had spent the money elsewhere.

Meanwhile, Accredited insolvency practitioner Kenneth Brown said often the IRD was an easy creditor not to pay.

These experts also said the IRD could write off substantial debts as it was a waste of time hauling them through the court system when there was no cash or assets left in the coffers.

I think the problem is - as Wells alluded to - you have businesses which go bust and owe creditors and tax - and then they just start up all over again.

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He said some people should not be in business and are only buying themselves a job.

I agree. I think it is great to have entrepreneurial skills and I don't knock that.

What I do knock is when people don't pay or come to an agreement to pay their taxes and creditors - and start up all over again.

Like it or not, paying taxes is something everyone - and every business - has an obligation to do. No one should be an exception.