Tax Firm Fined £150k in HMRC Showdown
AML Tax (UK) Limited, part of Doug Barrowman’s Isle of Man-based Knox Group and led by Arthur Lancaster, has been slapped with a hefty £150,000 fine. The penalty came after HMRC took the firm to the Upper Tribunal for dodging formal information requests during a tax probe.
£3 Million Tax Bill Looming
The company must now fork over crucial records so HMRC can figure out the tax owed—estimated to be over £3 million. This follows a “sustained campaign of non-compliance,” according to HMRC.
HMRC Boss Slams AML Tax’s Dodgy Tactics
“We are committed to ensuring everyone pays the tax they legally owe. We will not allow companies to simply ignore their legal duty,” said Counter Avoidance Director Mary Aiston.
“AML Tax used a series of tactics to try and frustrate HMRC’s efforts to find out the tax that was legally due. I’m delighted their obstructive conduct has been penalised. HMRC is determined to drive promoters of tax avoidance out of business.”
Tribunal Calls Out Director Arthur Lancaster
The tribunal didn’t hold back on company director Arthur Lancaster, a well-known Chartered Accountant and Tax Adviser. They described him as “evasive” and accused him of a “lack of candour.”
“We were left with the impression Mr Lancaster provided as little evidence as possible, showing confusion, inconsistencies, and some incorrect statements,” the ruling said.
The £150,000 fine is on top of around £9,000 in previous penalties from HMRC. Now, AML’s financial records for 2014 and 2015 will be closely inspected to nail down the Corporation Tax bill.
