One Cardiff burger bar evaded greater than £400,000
The newest tax evasion record names and shames deliberate defaulters from Wales together with three eating places. An individual or enterprise seems on the record if they’ve deliberately defaulted on greater than £25,000 in tax.
HM Income & Customs (HMRC) updates its record roughly each three months. It says the aim is “influencing behaviour by encouraging defaulters to interact with HMRC”. Earlier than updating its record the authority provides every defaulter a possibility to argue why their particulars shouldn’t be revealed.
Defaulters’ particulars are faraway from the record after 12 months. Beneath are the Wales-based names on the record, which was final up to date on June 27. Now we have made efforts to strategy the folks and companies listed.
Jo Sams Cardiff
Jo Sams Cardiff Ltd, which traded because the Uncle Sam’s burger bar in Cathays, Cardiff, intentionally defaulted on £427,622 in tax between June 2019 and March 2023, leading to a penalty of £223,118.
The American-inspired takeaway stays on Crwys Highway however an worker advised us the present proprietor took over about six months in the past with a separate firm and had nothing to do with the tax-dodging.
Joanne Platt, 62, and Mohammad Ibrahim Safikhani, 50, had been administrators of Jo Sams Cardiff Ltd in the course of the tax evasion interval. The corporate’s accounts have been overdue since March 2024 and there may be an energetic proposal for it to be struck from the businesses register.
Khadiza
Khadiza Ltd traded as Abdul’s Spice, an Indian takeaway in Quay Avenue, Cardigan. Between January 2020 and December 2021 the enterprise evaded £85,510 in tax, resulting in a penalty of £35,914.
After we referred to as the restaurant, now named Abdul’s Tandoori Spice, the proprietor mentioned he took over with a special firm in March 2024, lengthy after the tax evasion, and added: “We had nothing to do with it.” The favored restaurant has a mean score of 4.6 stars on Google opinions.
Khadiza’s accounts have been overdue since final September and there may be an energetic proposal to strike it from the register. Its sole director is 62-year-old Abdul Mosabbir.
New Haven Pizza
New Haven Pizza Ltd operated a takeaway of the identical title on Albany Highway in Roath, Cardiff, the place it dodged £107,242 between March 2020 and February 2023. HMRC has since imposed a penalty of £54,425.
The enterprise’ accounts have been overdue since final November and there may be an energetic proposal for strike-off. Its administrators in the course of the default interval had been 42-year-old Bassam Alo and 24-year-old Rustom Ahmad.
Matthew Bowen
Matthew Bowen, from Rhondda Cynon Taf, evaded £103,408 in tax between April 2018 and April 2024. The 36-year-old self-employed scaffolder has been handed a penalty of £66,956.
Final yr we reported on Mr Bowen’s expertise of a dental operation in Turkey, which he described as “the worst mistake” of his life having spent £14,000 on the surgical procedure, journey and lodging — just for his new gnashers to allegedly begin “falling aside” inside weeks.
This week, once we requested about his look on the tax defaulters record, Mr Bowen, of Bryntirion in Ynysboeth, Abercynon, denied wrongdoing and advised us our cellphone name was the primary he had heard about it. He mentioned he would name us again in half an hour however didn’t accomplish that.
The following day we rang him once more and he mentioned: “I dunno what to say to be sincere. I have been attempting to contact HMRC however I am on maintain. If I believed I performed unsuitable I would not be attempting to ring them.” You possibly can learn extra on Mr Bowen’s case right here.
Christopher Whitcombe
Christopher Lance Whitcombe, an engineer based mostly at Gelli Deg in Fforestfach, Swansea, intentionally defaulted on £54,598 in tax between April 2017 and April 2020, leading to a £46,596 penalty.
Robert James
Robert Lee Jack James, a builder based mostly at Barrack Row in Dowlais, Merthyr Tydfil, evaded £40,961 in tax between April 2021 and April 2023, prompting HMRC to difficulty a penalty of £27,239.
Luke Wilson
Duct fitter Luke David Wilson was based mostly at numerous addresses in North Cornelly, Bridgend, when he didn’t pay £34,892 in tax between April 2016 and April 2023. HMRC has imposed a £23,988 penalty.
Richard Hopkins
Richard David Hopkins is a subcontractor based mostly at Ty Duffryn in Vale Park, Rhyl, and previously of Penley Avenue in Prestatyn and Grosvenor Highway in the identical city. Between April 2017 and April 2023 he evaded £36,303 in tax. He should pay a penalty of £24,958.
Different tax dodgers in Wales
The present record names a number of different deliberate tax defaulters from Wales whose names and particulars we included on this story earlier this yr.
