The owner of Ready Homes and NZ Modular Homes, Warren Sinclair, has pleaded not guilty in court to charges of tax evasion. Photo / Tania Whyte
The owner of Ready Homes and NZ Modular Homes, Warren Sinclair, has pleaded not guilty in court to charges of tax evasion. Photo / Tania Whyte
A well-known Whangārei businessman who built and sold tiny homes is before the courts on a raft of charges relating to unpaid tax.
Appearing in a suit at the Whangārei District Court today, Warren Graeme Sinclair, entered not guilty pleas through his lawyer Martin Hislop.
Sinclair elected a trial by jury for the 68 charges filed by IRD related to businesses Isee Sales Ltd, Isee Digital Ltd, ReTyred Ltd and Ready Homes Ltd.
Of the four businesses, two have been removed from the Companies Office and one - Ready Homes Ltd - is in liquidation.
IRD alleges Sinclair did not file income tax returns between 2017 and 2021 and did not provide information on GST for Isee Digital for the years 2020 and 2021.
A ready-made cabin being hoisted at Warren Sinclair's Rewarewa Road site.
It is also alleged across all four businesses that Sinclair aided or abetted knowingly applying tax deductions being PAYE, Kiwisaver contributions, student loan deductions, employer superannuation contribution tax, and child support deductions for a purpose other than in payment to IRD.
The maximum penalty on these charges is five years’ imprisonment, a fine of up to $50,000, or both.
Since 2000, the 53-year-old has been listed as the director of 22 businesses on the New Zealand Companies Office.
In total he has four companies currently in liquidation and five remain registered.
The four companies in liquidation are LHD Media Ltd, NZ Modular Homes Ltd, Ready Homes Ltd, and Zartaj Design and Hosting Ltd.
Sinclair’s companies still registered with the Companies Office are ReHydrate Ltd, Its.online.co.nz, Isee Digital and ReTyred however in March this year Sinclair’s father, Kenneth Sinclair, became the director with Warren moved to a 100 per cent shareholder.
Sinclair will next appear in September for a case review hearing.
Shannon Pitman is a Whangārei based reporter for Open Justice covering courts in the Te Tai Tokerau region. She is of Ngāpuhi/Ngātiwai/Ngāti Pūkenga descent and has worked freelance in digital media for the past five years. She joined NZME in 2023.
