Michael and Sally Goyne plead guilty to tax evasion spanning five years: Dandenong Court
A failing tradie and his pregnant wife have been busted trying to swindle tax payers out of $100,000, just a decade after he was convicted for the same crime.
South East
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A Rowville couple has claimed they were “too overwhelmed” to pay their $100,000 tax bill, evading the tax department for five years.
Married couple Michael Goyne, 52, and Sally Goyne, 49, pleaded guilty in Dandenong Magistrates Court on Thursday to tax evasion charges, just 12 years after Michael was convicted for the same crime.
The Australian Taxation Office contacted Michael numerous times after he failed to file a tax and GST statement for five years between 2018 and 2023.
The court heard he owed a total of $95,270 in backdated tax after working as a self-employed bathroom renovator, while school admin manager Salley owed a further $5370.
The Goynes’ lawyer Roland Muller told the court Sally had “trusted Michael” to take care of their tax returns, as she had become unexpectedly pregnant while simultaneously caring for both her parents who were suffering from cancer.
“He didn’t prioritise his tax obligations and she didn’t do an effective job of following up,” Mr Muller said.
“There was always something else to do.”
Mr Muller said the family’s situation combined with a failing business led to Michael feeling “overwhelmed”.
“My client feels a great deal of shame that he’s let his wife and their partnership down,” he said.
Mr Muller argued the pair had been under “significant pressure” due to the surprise pregnancy alongside the cancer diagnoses of Sally’s parents.
The prosecution countered while the Goynes’ family circumstances were not trivial, they “shouldn’t be given weight”, as Michael had already been convicted and fined in 2006 for the same crime.
The court heard Michael had paid back his recent debt in full, but only started doing so after court proceedings began in mid-2023.
This was despite the tax office’s numerous attempts to contact him.
Magistrate Hugh Radford accepted the Goynes’ showed “genuine remorse”.
“The sins you committed have now been attended to,” he said.
“Sometimes life does become overwhelming, but this is serious, significant offending.”
Mr Radford considered the context between Michael and Sally, saying the offending was not “intentionally malicious or sinister”.
Michael was fined $10,000 with conviction, while Sally was put on a six month good behaviour bond with a $500 recognisance cost.