Sussex business named and shamed for tax evasion by HMRC

HMRC has published the details of those businesses given financial penalties for failing to comply with tax obligations or deliberately filing errors in tax returns.

HMRC's Publishing Details of Deliberate Defaulters scheme flags up when a person or business has made at least one deliberate default on more than £25,000.

In the Sussex area, only one business has been named.

The list is updated every three months and the information is completely wiped after a year.

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The address is the one associated with the published person at the time of the default.

The information below can be viewed on the government website as of April 7, 2021 - the day this story was published.

The list was last updated on March 17, 2021.

Below is the Sussex-based company listed by HMRC:

Name: Jacqueline Elizabeth Henderson. Formerly known as Jacqueline Elizabeth Hobbs - Formerly trading as 'Into The Blue'

Business, trade or occupation: Restaurant

Address: Formerly of 29-31 Ferry Road, Shoreham By Sea, West Sussex, BN43 5RA.

Period of default: August 1, 2010 to April 5, 2016.

Total amount of tax/duty on which penalties are based: £51,817.58

Total amount of penalties charged: £25,908.75

Why is this information public and listed on the HMRC website?

David Gauke, Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury, said: "HMRC is dedicated to clamping down on the small minority of people who break the law, and finding and taking action against tax cheats who try to evade their responsibilities.

"The publication of these names sends a clear signal that cheating on tax is wrong and reassures people who pay their taxes – the vast majority – that there are consequences for those who refuse to tell HMRC about their full liability.

"It also encourages defaulters to make a full and prompt disclosure and cooperate with HMRC to avoid being named."