Second Quarter of 2014 and Over 65 Prosecuted for Income Tax Evasion and Other Tax Infractions

We are well into the second half of 2014, and already 68 individuals/businesses have been prosecuted for income tax evasion and other tax infractions. The Canada Revenue Agency is well-known for their aggressive and often underhanded methods when it comes to collecting what they believe people owe, and if they find any questionable behaviours (whether intentional or not), they are quick to prosecute. 

Often those prosecuted for income tax evasion find themselves in this position because of unintentional actions. We all know how busy life can get, and sometimes filing tax returns or keeping our books up-to-date can be put to the side in favour of other, more important issues. But there are repercussions, and CRA isn’t interested in your life story or the circumstances that can lead to tax issues.  These represent just a few of the many individuals/businesses prosecuted for such actions, from April to June. 

April 2014

-        British Columbia resident Stacy Senger was sentenced to fines for failing to comply with an order to file income tax returns and HST returns. The fines, totaling $5000, must be paid by October of this year.

-        Ontario resident Ken Gibbs was sentenced to fines totaling $7000 for failure to file personal and GST/HST returns. Gibbs was given 12 months to pay the fines.

May 2014

-        Manitoba – Winnipeg resident Ken Blackmore was charged with failing to file personal income tax returns and given a $12000 fine ($2000 for each missing return). He was ordered to file the returns within 60 days, and given 12 months to pay the fines. Failure to do so could result in a jail sentence.

-        Nova Scotia resident Michael Astephan was charged with four counts of failing to file his personal income tax returns for 2007 to 2010, resulting in a fine of just under $5000 ($1000 per count plus court costs). Astephan was given until May 2015 to pay the fines, and 30 days to file the outstanding returns.

June 2014

-        Alberta – 60 year old Tony Huether was prosecuted for failure to file personal income tax returns for 2007 to 2010. As a result of these charges, Huether was charged $1000 for each year, for a total of $4000. He has been given until October 1^st to pay the fines. 

-        British Columbia – West Kelowna businessman Bruce Roch Perrin was charged with income tax evasion and excise tax evasion after failing to report income. A CRA investigation resulted in a $28,922 fine and 9 months’ probation. Perrin was given 24 months to pay the fine.

If you believe that an income tax evasion charge might be looming, get it sorted now before you find yourself in the same predicament as those listed above. CRA can be ruthless, so protect yourself and solve the problem before they find out.

For more about CRA prosecutions for income tax evasion, or to get tax help, please contact Tax Solutions Canada today by calling 1-888-868-1400.