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Magazine Contributors Frans Hertoghs Kiwikorrels: We can't make it any nicer
Magazine Contributors Frans Hertoghs Kiwikorrels: We can't make it any nicer
| Kiwikorrels: We can't make it any nicer |
 Lasting thirteen years, the tale of a fight against the income tax - with unexpected consequences.By Frans Hertoghs Dave Henderson is a project developer in Christchurch, the capital of the southern island. In February 1994 he claims a tax-return of $68,000. The income tax department didn't like the idea. On the contrary, when the final tax assessment drops in the letterbox it turns out that he has to pay more than $1 m. Henderson - understandably - doesn't like that very much. He went to court.The conflict builds up: a tax official insinuates certain things about the girlfriend he had at that time, Henderson ripostes with the promise to kick the man's behind from one end of the street to the other. The police wake him at three o'clock in the morning to inform him of the cancellation of his driver’s license etc. Minor and major harassments by the government are happening. In parliament the Minister for Finance openly calls him the man behind the sex industry of Christchurch and the country's biggest tax evader. All this while Henderson has never been accused or convicted. Henderson staggers on the edge of bankruptcy. The lawsuits reach the Supreme Court. But they declare that Henderson is right in every respect. He recovers his $68,000 tax money and also the legal costs. The mouse beats the cat. End of the story? No, not quite. Tax office With the paid-back government money Henderson buys - for a total of eight million dollar - the buildings where the Tax Department has established its offices. Immediately, he renames the buildings: the Henderson house. That is unacceptable for the miffed public servants. Thus they move to new premises. The removal alone costs more than two million dollars. The new rent is three times as high. That is not good news for the taxpayer. But we aren't finished yet. Book and movie A good story is worth turning in a thrilling book. Together with his friend, the somewhat dubious politician Rodney Hide, Henderson writes a book with the title Be Very Afraid. It sells very well: within a couple of months more than ten thousand copies have been sold. Film producer John Barnett, known from The Whale Rider wants to turn it into a movie. He buys the rights and makes a long movie. Subtly called: We are here to help. The opening night was in October. In Christchurch, where else? Subsidy Worst to come. Just before the opening night it appears that the film got a subsidy of almost two million dollars, paid by the Film Commission - from government money, therefore taxes. Remarkably enough the movie did not appear to be mentioned on the website of the commission and was also absent on the list of subsidised feature films. Henderson, who had sold the film rights, claims that he did not know of the subsidy. He certainly would have refused it, he says. But on the other hand he couldn’t stop laughing. Serves them right. The state bullies you, he says. They overstep the mark if you don't watch them. Thanks, tax office The sincere and rather prim kiwi scratches his head. The common boy, who - just by himself - beats the tax and the entire government, great isn't it? But has he or hasn't he been involved with prostitution? He certainly has cost us taxpayers more than five millions of dough. Thank you very much, treasury. Couldn't you make it any nicer? The Dutch version of this article is published in the January/February 2008 edition of Holland Focus. Ask your News Agent or take out a subscription.
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