An Auckland woman was sentenced to two years imprisonment on tax fraud charges.

Caitlin Briar Ashby faced 18 charges (some of them representative) of using documents with intent to obtain a pecuniary advantage from income tax returns, GST returns and applications to two COVID-19 support schemes.

She was sentenced to two years imprisonment when she appeared in the Manukau District Court on 14 August. She was given leave to apply for home detention if a suitable address where she can live is found.

Ashby set up 3 bank accounts using false identities and filed 64 false income tax returns for 14 different taxpayers. She made 2 false GST returns, 2 false Small Business Cashflow scheme loan (SBCS) applications (one of which was paid out to Ashby and the other of which was declined), and 1 false Resurgence Support Payment (RSP) application.

Between May 2019 and August that year Ashby had bank account details changed for 19 taxpayers so that any income tax refunds for those customers would be paid into accounts she controlled.

Between July and August that year Ashby applied for 61 income tax refunds for 14 taxpayers she had updated details for. The money was paid into bank accounts she controlled.

Ashby also sought 2 GST returns to be paid into the accounts she controlled; however the money was not paid out.

Nearly $37,000 was paid into bank accounts under her control from the COVID relief schemes.

In total, Ashby tried to get $222,822.44 from Inland Revenue. She was successful in getting $36,629.64. No reparation was ordered, and six months special and standard release conditions were included.

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