Company director banned for seven years after his firm fiddled £30,000 of tax

A Huddersfield man has been banned from being a company director for seven years after his firm cheated the taxman out of more then £30,000.

The Insolvency Service reported that Ian Alexander Stawman, 41, of Flugel Way, Lindley, had caused IJPS Installations Ltd to make false VAT returns to HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) between February, 2011, and August, 2014.

It had also created false invoices in support the fake returns.

The Insolvency Service said that his actions led to HMRC losing a potential £30,890 in revenue.

Following an investigation by HMRC in July, 2015, it was found that found that IJPS – an electrical installation business with registered offices in Golcar – was liable for penalties totalling £16,989 in respect of these periods.

It said the VAT and penalties remained unpaid at the date a winding-up order made against the company on March 21, 2016.

At that point, the firm’s debts to HMRC totalled £103,009 – including interest, penalties and charges. Of that, £81,911 related to VAT, including surcharges of £461, interest of £2,416 and penalties of £16,985.