Bury used car dealer sentenced for VAT fraud

A car dealer from Bury has been sentenced for not declaring his true income or registering his business for VAT.

Last week Rashid Amin Moughal (45), of Gigg Lane, Bury, was sentenced to 22 months jail suspended for two years after admitting evading £113,000 by under declaring his income and not paying VAT on sales of secondhand vehicles at Manchester Crown Court. The business operated as Moughal Motors.

The HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) investigation into Moughal and his business centred on comparisons made between his Self Assessment returns, bank accounts and various auction house records.

They revealed that his sales had been understated and purchases suppressed to avoid having to register for VAT and to evade income tax.

Sandra Smith, assistant director of the HMRC’s fraud investigation service said: “This was a deliberate attempt to defraud the public purse by Moughal. He had been buying and selling cars since 2009 but he only registered as a sole trader with HMRC in July 2011. His subsequent tax returns proved to be a web of lies.

“We are determined to create a level playing field for all businesses. You cannot evade your tax obligations in this way – it is unfair and criminal.”

Moughal now faces a confiscation hearing to recover the stolen taxes. He was also ordered to a a 200-hour community work order.