Raj and his wife Jo Ganesh made the tough call on June 13 to place the Tasting Shed in liquidators’ hands and blame the Covid-19 pandemic for the decision.
A report by liquidator Paul Vlasic at Rodgers Reidy shows that Inland Revenue has a preferential creditor claim of $ 591,759 for GST and PAYE tax.
The IRD was also listed as an unsecured creditor that owed a further $ 633,340.
Vlasic said the unsecured creditor debt is separate and is likely to be related to fines and interest.
Asked how the company was able to build up such a debt to the IRD, Vlasic said it was too early in his investigation to say.
The next update of the liquidator will be around December 14th.
The third season of Eat well for less screens from tonight with Raj and Michael Van De Elzen as co-presenters.
The local range advises households on how to prune their grocery bills and prepare healthy meals while the hosts investigate supermarket trolleys and takeaway bills.
But when asked if it would be a good idea to have someone with such a large tax liability who faces a program aimed at saving people money, TVNZ spokeswoman Ginny Green said Raj ‘s business is not a feature of the program.
“Questions about it are best directed to him rather than TVNZ,” Green said.
“We are confident that Ganesh Raj as host of the program will help us to have another fantastic season of Eat well for less New Zealand. ”
Asked if Raj would chair the program again after this season, Green said he would not share plans for any of his new and recurring series, including Eat well for less New Zealanduntil late 2022.
A Raj spokesman said he had nothing further to add to the statement issued after the liquidation appointment.
She added: “Now more than ever, people need tips on how to shop, cook and eat well. Ganesh is still a champion of food education and uses his skills to help everyday New Zealanders cook on a budget. ”
Raj and Jo Ganesh set up the Tasting Shed in 2010 and converted a dilapidated cider barn into Waimauku.
It has been on the market for sale since November 2020 after another business partly owned by Ganesh Raj – the Maori Kitchen – went into liquidation.
Raj said in a statement last week that they had made the difficult decision to liquidate The Tasting Shed after it was no longer able to pay operating expenses, taxes and rent.
“It is with a heavy heart that we made this decision after exhausting all the financial options at our disposal. We tried hard to eliminate the effects of the pandemic, but the impact on hospitality was too difficult for us. “
He said the cost of goods and services had risen significantly and there were fewer people to fill staff vacancies – a whole operational issue.
“Like many others in this industry, the impact of the past two years on our business has taken a huge toll on the mental health of myself and my family, a key factor in making this difficult decision.”