'Absolutely': Ex-Tauranga city councillor denies multiple tax charges

Author: Sandra Conchie,
Publish Date: Tue, 28 Jul 2026, 1:54pm

Tauranga City councillor Andrew Hollis. Photo / George Novak

Former Tauranga City councillor Andrew Hollis has denied 35 tax-related charges, including allegations he evaded income tax and GST and misled Inland Revenue to obtain Working for Families tax credits.

Court documents reveal that some of the offending is alleged to have occurred between 2019 and 2024, overlapping with the period that Hollis, 54, served on the council.

Hollis’ request to have the 35 charges dismissed was declined by Judge David Cameron in the Tauranga District Court on Monday.

The maximum penalty for each charge is five years’ imprisonment and/or a $50,000 fine.

Hollis denied five charges of evading or attempting to evade the assessment or payment of income tax during the income tax years between 2020 and 2024.

He has also pleaded not guilty to three charges of knowingly providing false or misleading information in income tax returns to obtain Working for Families tax credit payments.

The three charges relate to the tax years ending March 31, 2020, to March 31, 2022.

Hollis also denied a further 27 charges of evading or attempting to evade the assessment or payment of GST between 2019 and 2024.

Hollis, who represented himself at the hearing, was previously represented by lawyer David Weaver.

Tauranga District Court Judge David Cameron.

Inland Revenue’s solicitor, Christina Hunt, told Judge Cameron this was Hollis’ fourth court appearance, and he was required to enter pleas.

She also told Judge Cameron that Hollis had earlier sought to have the charges dismissed, which the Inland Revenue opposed.

Judge Cameron told Hollis that he was declining his application for a discharge without conviction, and pleas were required.

Hollis replied that not guilty pleas should “absolutely” be entered to all charges.

Judge Cameron remanded Hollis at large until his case review hearing on September 15.

Hollis was elected to the Tauranga City Council in October 2019, and he was among the elected members who were sacked in late 2020 and replaced with Government-appointed commissioners.

Hollis’ gold bullion trading company, Guardians of Gold, which was incorporated on September 3, 2024, was placed into voluntary liquidation in August last year and receivership the following month.

Receivers have filed a High Court application seeking guidance over the ownership and treatment of an estimated $250,000 of bullion inventory that Guardians of Gold Ltd held when it went into receivership and liquidation.

The High Court case relates to 34 unsecured creditors.

Sandra Conchie is a senior journalist at the Bay of Plenty Times and Rotorua Daily Post who has been a journalist for 25 years. She mainly covers police, court and other justice stories, as well as general news. She has been a Canon Media Awards regional/community reporter of the year.