Business boss in £60kVAT fraud avoids jail term
A FORMER Birmingham businessman has avoided jail, despite admitting a £60,000 VAT scam.
Dalmit Singh Dohil, who used to run two construction companies in the city, was given a suspended prison sentence at Birmingham Crown Court.
Dohil, 40, pleaded guilty to four counts of knowingly being concerned with the fraudulent evasion of VAT in 2009.
The court heard how Dohil, who used to live in Sutton Coldfield but now lives in Woodlands Road, Romford, Essex, submitted more than £60,000 of false VAT repayment claims.
He falsified invoices and bank statements for two companies he was director of at the time – Citadel Homes Ltd and Mayfield House (Moseley) Ltd.
Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) paid £30,461 of the VAT claims submitted by Dohil and withheld a further £29,610 of claims.
Dohil paid back £30,461 ahead of sentencing on Monday, October 1.
He was handed a two-year prison sentence suspended for 15 months and was also ordered to complete 180 hours of unpaid work and to pay £2,000 court costs.
Investigators from HMRC linked Dohil to the bogus claims when they found he had exchanged false invoices with convicted Birmingham VAT fraudster, Harinderpal Singh Lotay.
Lotay was first arrested by HMRC in 2013. He was also handed a suspended two-year prison sentence last month at Birmingham Crown Court for VAT repayment fraud.
The 39-year-old, from Sparkhill, tried to steal more than £97,000 by submitting a string of fraudulent VAT claims.
An HMRC spokesperson said Dohil’s prosecution should serve as a warning to anyone else thinking of cheating the taxman.
“People like Dohil steal money that funds our vital public services.
“They also gain an unfair advantage over competitors who are doing the right thing and paying what they owe.
“HMRC will pursue criminals who attack the tax system in this way.”