Recruitment agency boss Cassandra Knox’s second company goes bust

Thursday, 6 March 2025

Cassandra Knox hides behind a companion outside the Christchurch District Court last month after pleading guilty to tax evasion charges.

A second recruitment agency run by celebrated businesswoman-turned tax evader Cassandra Knox has gone into liquidation.

Elite Employment - owned and directed by Knox - was registered two hours and 55 minutes after Trinity Employment was placed in liquidation in May last year.

Trinity Employment (also owned and directed by Knox) owes $2.9m to creditors, including $1.55m to Inland Revenue.

The order placing Elite Employment into liquidation was made in the Christchurch High Court on Thursday morning following an application from Inland Revenue.

Elite Employment was registered two hours and 55 minutes after Trinity Employment Services was placed in liquidation.

Inland Revenue lawyer Paul Saunders claimed Elite Employment Ltd was the successor of Trinity Employment Services Ltd.

Last month, Knox plead guilty to charges of tax evasion relating to Elite Employment but disputed how much she personally gained. She did not appear at Thursday’s court hearing.

“There are some serious concerns about ongoing offending,” Saunders said.

Knox had not responded or engaged with the Elite Employment liquidation proceedings, he said. Last contact with Knox was a phone call last August. A web reminder about the debt was sent last month, Saunders said.

Saunders said Elite Employment had filed, but not paid, GST returns. The total debt was just over $47,000 including interest and penalties.

Business owner Cassandra Knox registered Elite Employment three hours after Trinity Employment Services was liquidated.

Associate Judge Owen Paulsen made the order placing Elite Employment in liquidation.

Knox won the South Canterbury Chamber of Commerce Emerging Leader Award in 2022.