Salesman spared jail over half a million in untaxed commission
25th August 2015

HMRC showed it is still on the case of window industry tax dodgers when its investigators found a salesman who had paid no tax on over £500,000 of commission.

Anthony Jenkins, 60, was spared prison by a judge last week but fined £20,000 and ordered to finish paying back around £111,000 in unpaid taxes.

Exeter Crown Court heard how Jenkins, who was manager at the local Safestyle showroom, had earned the commission over a six-year period but failed to complete any Self-Assessment returns. He also admitted to investigators that he would have gone on committing the fraud if the officers had not caught up with him.

Jenkins had at first pleaded not guilty to fraudulent evasion of Income Tax at Exeter Magistrates’ Court in December 2014, but later changed his plea to guilty. At the Crown Court last week, he was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment, suspended for two years. He was also fined £20,000, which must be paid within three months, and ordered to pay court costs of £1,000.

He had already repaid £98,618 of the tax debt to HMRC and was ordered to pay the balance of £12,428 at a rate of £500 a week.

After the hearing, Colin Spinks, Assistant Director of Criminal Investigation HMRC, said: “Tax fraudsters such as Jenkins think they have an upper-hand over those who pay what is due. He stole from public finances and would have continued his fraud had HMRC not stopped him. Our message is clear – if you don’t pay what you should, we will investigate.”

He also urged anyone with information on tax fraudsters to call the Tax Fraud Hotline, 0800 788 887 or go online to www.hmrc.gov.uk/reportingfraud/online.htm

HMRC had told The Glazine earlier this year (Links Mar 31 and May 26) that it was keeping the double glazing industry ‘on its radar’ after three salesmen were convicted at Leeds Crown Court for concealing years of untaxed income.