A DOZEN Scottish businesses and individuals have been named and shamed in a new list of "deliberate tax defaulters".
On Thursday, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) named 150 businesses across the UK who had failed to pay tax.
The UK’s tax authority said that in every case, those named deliberately failed to pay at least £25,000 in tax and did not make a full disclosure when HMRC began its investigation, which would kept their details off the list.
Several Scottish firms made the list, including the bosses at Muirhead Farm in East Ayrshire – who were fined £139,042.36 for defaulting on tax between December 1, 2020 and February 24, 2024.
Meanwhile, Dunfermline's Bubble Treats was fined £98,677.30 for the period November 1, 2021, to October 31, 2023.
Dennis Gerard O’Connell, a hotelier in Kirkcaldy, was fined £88,887.84 for defaulting between April 6, 2021 and April 5, 2023.
Sean Daniel Ward, a Clydebank builder, received a penalty of £85,701.21 for the period December 1, 2019 and December 12, 2024.
The Fueng Yi takeaway in Stirling, meanwhile, was penalised £31,601.79 for the period between for defaulting on tax between July 25 2021 and January 13 2024.
Asif Aibadur Rehman Ahmed, who was trading as a vape shop called Qube Scotland, has been fined £58,017.43 for defaulting on £89,602.21 in tax between April 2022 and April 2023.
J.Kirker Ltd who was operating a takeaway, has been fined £35,209.36 for defaulting on £71,855.85 in tax between December 2023 and November 2024.
Abid Ali Anjum, operating as a takeaway called MasterChef, has been fined £20,272.05 for defaulting on £41,371.62 in tax between April 2016 and April 2023.
TTS (Scot) Ltd was operating as a takeaway called Ali's Kebab House in Shettleston, has been fined £10,911.91 for defaulting on £28,342.64 in tax between March 2022 and May 2024.
Charles M Sinclair, of Greenock, failed to pay tax on foreign employment income between April 6, 2010 and April 5, 2021 and was fined £58,160.60.
Clean Genie Group, a commercial cleaning firm in Dumfermline, was fined £76185.69.
Meanwhile, remotely operated vehicle operator Gordon Morrison Kennedy was also fined £22,364.84.
Kevin Hubbard, HMRC’s director of small business and individuals, said: “Too many high streets have businesses that are undercutting their honest neighbours by failing to pay the tax they owe.
“That is unfair to compliant businesses and to the communities they serve, and we are determined to tackle it.
“Among those named are takeaways, convenience stores and other high street businesses from across the UK – a reminder that HMRC’s work to tackle non-compliance reaches into every part of the country.”
These defaulters’ details will remain published for 12 months. It is important to note that this list only includes those penalised under civil procedures and does not include criminal convictions for tax fraud.
