Jail sentence dished out to Indian restaurant owner

The owner of Indian restaurants across Dorset has been jailed for a £200,000 tax fraud after an investigation by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC).

Motin Miah, 42, of Ferndown, Dorset, lied about the takings from his Joy restaurants in Charminster, Southbourne and Ferndown to evade paying £154,763 VAT over a five year period.

Miah also evaded paying £48,943 in Income Tax. He never declared his income as being over £7,800 a year to HMRC but put his earnings as at least £50,000 annually on his mortgage applications. Miah also received income from properties he owned and rented out.

Richard Wilkinson, Assistant Director, Fraud Investigation Service, HMRC, said:

“Miah stole more than £200,000 that should have gone to fund our public services. Instead, he lied about his takings with the sole intention of pocketing cash to fund his own lifestyle and build up a substantial property portfolio.

“Confiscation proceedings are now underway and HMRC will continue to pursue criminals who attack the tax system. We ask anyone with information about suspected VAT fraud to contact us online or call our Fraud Hotline on 0800 788 887.”

Miah pleaded guilty to cheating the public revenue and evading Income Tax before Bournemouth Crown Court on 10 September 2018 and was sentenced to 32 months in jail on Friday 16 November 2018. He was also disqualified from being a company director for 10 years.

His Honour Judge Fuller QC said: “Despite a body of evidence, you lied in interview and said that you weren’t in charge and didn’t know who the bosses were.”

Notes for editors

• Motin Miah (DOB 5/2/1976) from Dugdell Close, Ferndown, Dorset, pleaded guilty to cheating the public revenue by evading £154,763 VAT between 1 April 2010 and 13 October 2015 and the evasion of £48,943 Income Tax between 6 April 2010 and 5 April 2015 at Bournemouth Crown Court on 10 September 2018. He was sentenced to 32 months in jail on Friday 16 November. He was also disqualified from being a company director for 10 years. The total value of the fraud was £203,763

• The three Joy eateries involved were based at Charminster Road in Charminster, Ringwood Road in Ferndown and Seabourne Road in Southbourne.

• Suspected tax crime can be reported online at https://www.gov.uk/report-an-unregistered-trader-or-business or by calling our fraud hotline on 0800 788 887.

• Follow HMRC's Press Office on Twitter @HMRCpressoffice
• HMRC’s Flickr channel www.flickr.com/hmrcgovuk