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Food Act 2014

Provisions relating to recognition, territorial authorities, administration, and enforcement - Payment of statutory debt

215: Penalty for failure to pay statutory fees, etc

You could also call this:

"What happens if you don't pay food fees on time"

Illustration for Food Act 2014

If you do not pay a fee or charge on time, it is called a statutory debt. A statutory debt is a fee, charge, or levy that you must pay to the Ministry or someone in a special office under the Food Act 2014. You can find more information about this in sections like sections 216 and 217.

If you still have not paid your statutory debt after the time is up, you will have to pay more money. The amount you have to pay extra is 10% of the debt that is still unpaid.

You will also have to pay an extra 10% for every 6 months that you do not pay the debt. If the Ministry asks you for payment and you do not pay within 20 working days, you will have to pay the extra amount. When the Ministry tells you that you have a statutory debt, they must also tell you what will happen if you do not pay it.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM2996326.

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214: Levy regulations are confirmable instruments, or

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216: Waiver of penalty, or

"Not having to pay a penalty if you disagreed with the Ministry about a debt"

Part 4Provisions relating to recognition, territorial authorities, administration, and enforcement
Payment of statutory debt

215Penalty for failure to pay statutory fees, etc

  1. In this section, and in sections 216 and 217, statutory debt—

  2. means any fee, charge, or levy required to be paid to the Ministry or the holder of any specified office by or under this Act; but
    1. does not include any debt owed to the Ministry by a territorial authority.

      1. If, after the expiry of the time provided for by or under this Act or by subsection (4), all or any part of a statutory debt remains unpaid, the debt increases by an amount calculated in accordance with subsection (3).

      2. The amount by which an unpaid statutory debt, or any unpaid part of a statutory debt, increases is the sum of—

      3. 10% of the debt (or of that part of the debt that remained unpaid after the expiry of the time provided for the debt’s payment); and
        1. for every complete period of 6 months after that expiry during which the debt or any part of it (including any deemed increase calculated under this subsection) has remained unpaid, 10% of the debt or that part.

          1. If a time for payment is not provided for by or under this Act, the debt must be paid within 20 working days after the written demand for payment from the Ministry is received by the person responsible for payment.

          2. When the Ministry notifies a person of the incurring of a statutory debt, it must also notify that person of the consequences of non-payment under this section.

          3. This section applies only in respect of statutory debts that first arise after the commencement of this Act.