Fung shui master Tony Chan Chun-chuen has finally had his first taste of victory in court when a judge ruled in his favour, quashing the taxman's refusal to give him extra time to file an objection against a HK$330 million tax claim.
Chan, 51, who was charged last week with forging the will on which he based his claim for the billion-dollar fortune of late businesswoman Nina Wang Kung Yu-sum, was twice defeated in the epic probate battle. Last year, the Court of First Instance ruled Chan had used a fake. In February, the Court of Appeal affirmed the decision.
Yesterday, Chan won his judicial review which he launched to challenge a decision by the Inland Revenue Department to refuse Chan's objection to a tax claim arising from Chan's 23 properties and HK$330 million fung shui fee he received from Wang, which he insisted was a gift.
The tax commissioner, Chu Yam-yuen, had to reconsider whether an extension would be granted to Chan, Mr Justice Anselmo Reyes ruled in the Court of First Instance.
According to the document, the tax assessments were mailed in January and February last year to solicitors' firm Kao Lee & Yip because it was the address Chan provided to the department in 2004.
But Chan argued that he did not actually become aware of the assessments until late April last year when the department filed a claim in the District Court because the law firm did not forward the documents to him.
The department provided Chan with copies of the assessments by letter on May 5 last year and on June 4 Chan objected to the tax.
