Is UNITE solvent?

Matt Nippert at NBR writes:

Part of left-wing polit­i­cal Machi­avelli Matt McCarten’s Unite union empire has gone under owing money to the taxman.

The Auck­land High Court con­firmed Unite Social Ser­vices was placed into liq­ui­da­tion this morn­ing at the request of the Com­mis­sioner of Inland Rev­enue at 10.56am.

The Offi­cial Assignee was appointed as liquidator.

Unite Social Ser­vices is sep­a­rate from the union Unite Incor­po­rated, but finan­cial accounts filed with the Com­pa­nies Office show the two enti­ties are linked.

The 2008/09 accounts for UNITE showed a huge debt to the IRD, including shamefully unpaid PAYE tax which they hold in trust for their employees.

Their 2009/10 accounts are yet to surface, even though it is 15 months since balance date. Their AGM is officially October, so they should have been approved eight months ago. They have until this October to file them, before the Registrar of Incorporated Societies will take action.

I admire some of what UNITE union has done – effective advocacy for low paid workers. I also like the fact they are more about their principles than just being a wing of a political party – mind you that has got blurred recently with the Mana party.

Hat Tip: Whale