Mayor pays fine

Photo: Darren Handschuh

Vernon Mayor Akbal Mund has forked over $1,000 after being fined by the taxman.

“It was business, not personal,” says Mund of the fine, relating to a late 2012 filing when papers from business partners did not arrive on time.

Mund has pleaded guilty to one count of failure to fill in an income tax form on time.

“If you do not fulfill your obligations or comply with our payroll requirements, you may be assessed a penalty, interest, or incur other consequences,” states the Canada Revenue Agency website. “If you do not comply with the deducting, remitting, and reporting requirements, you may be prosecuted. You could be fined from $1,000 to $25,000, or you could be fined and imprisoned for a term of up to 12 months.”

“It's the minimum fine,” says Mund. “I didn't file the papers on time.”