Tax avoidance firm fined £150,000

After years of aggressively promoting tax avoidance schemes in the UK, a firm has been fined £150,000 for failing to provide HMRC with legally required information.

Part of the Doug Barrowman’s Isle of Man based Knox Group, AML Tax (UK) Limited – directed by Arthur Lancaster, must now hand over the required records to enable HMRC to calculate the tax owed, which is currently estimated to be over £3 million.

The £150,000 fine is in addition to penalties already issued, totalling around £9,000. HMRC will now be assessing the firm’s Corporation Tax bill for 2014 and 2015.

HMRC Counter Avoidance Director, Mary Aiston, said, “We are committed to ensuring everyone pays the tax they legally owe. We will not allow companies to simply ignore their legal duty.

“AML Tax used a series of tactics to try and frustrate HMRC’s efforts to work out the tax that was legally due, in a sustained campaign of non-compliance.

“I’m delighted their obstructive conduct has been penalised.

“HMRC is determined to drive promoters of tax avoidance out of business.”

For further information on these types of schemes, read our Offshore Tax Avoidance Schemes page.

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