Restaurant boss banned for nine years over tax avoidance

An ex-restaurant boss has been disqualified from forming a company for nine years after he suppressed sales figures to avoid paying tax.

Azam Ali was the sole director of Pabna Restaurant Ltd, which traded as an Indian restaurant in West Yorkshire.

In April 2017 the company entered voluntary liquidity having not paid the correct amount of tax.

An investigation by the Insolvency Service found that Ali had suppressed and concealed sales figures, to reduce the company's tax bill.

Ali did not dispute the findings and as of 28 June 2018 he is banned from directly or indirectly becoming involved, without the permission of the court, in the promotion, formation or management of a company for nine years.

Commenting on the disqualification, Lawrence Zussman, deputy head of investigations for the Insolvency Service said: "The majority of businesses comply with statutory legislation. However, some companies fail to do so and deliberately underpay their taxes.

"The ban of Azam Ali demonstrates our determination to clamp down on those directors who avoid paying the correct levels of tax and we will levy hefty periods of disqualification whether they cooperate or not."

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