I didn't know what '$' meant, man tells court

A man who claimed he didn't know what the $ sign meant has pleaded guilty to two tax charges.

Stephen Blackman was trying to explain why he had not disclosed more than $300,000 in income.

He appeared before Judge Robert Murfitt in New Plymouth District Court and pleaded guilty to two charges of filing false or incomplete tax returns for the years ending March 31, 2007 and 2008.

The Taranaki Daily News reported that Sam Ellis, appearing for the Inland Revenue Department, said in a letter dated February 9, 2009, Blackman wrote he had not been paid by his company Plant and Platform Consultants Ltd, of New Plymouth.

"You may have been confused by forms provided to you by my company which contained impressive numbers preceded by a '$' symbol," Blackman wrote.

"I am unaware of the meaning of this symbol, but I can assure you I am not aware of anyone at my company who would swear under oath that this represented money paid to me by the company."

Ms Ellis said Blackman, a shareholder of the company, failed to declare his salary of $150,150 in 2007 and $158,408 in 2008 in his tax returns.

He signed both returns stating they were true and correct.

Blackman is to reappear on July 6 for sentencing.

- NZPA