A STAWELL man has pleaded guilty to a string of tax charges, dating back eight years.
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Anthony Bell, 44, faced Horsham Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday.
He was charged with 36 income tax offences and GST offences.
Defence solicitor Sharon Leffler said Bell had not lodged his business activity statements and tax returns.
She said he now owed the Australian Tax Office $20,000 in penalty interest, and expected the figure to increase to $45,000.
“My client owns his own business and does not receive any assistance – he does everything himself and does not have a computer accounting system,” she said.
“After 2007 he found it quite difficult to keep up and while he acknowledges that is no excuse, he still buried his head in the sand.
“He works in the building industry, which has experienced a downturn in the past seven years, and he has found it difficult to make ends meet.”
Ms Leffler said Bell’s 32 overdue business activity statements and tax returns were now up to date.
“He now knows what he needs to do to lodge his BAS and tax returns as they are due,” she said.
Magistrate Peter Mithen said he understood tax requirements could generate a lot of time, but other people seemed to manage.
He ordered Bell to enter a good behaviour bond for two years.
“I understand the interest penalties are quite severe,” he said.
“The maximum penalty for these charges could have been hundreds of thousands of dollars. You need to keep your tax in order.”