Adviser jailed after altering client tax returns
Altered client tax returns and SA claims saw more than £186,000 falsely filed with the taxman
AN ADVISER who altered client tax returns and lied about his own finances to steal £186,000 has been jailed.
Akeel Ahmed Mirza, 27, generated false tax refunds of more than £140,000 by changing client tax returns in January 2012. He then moved from to Coventry from London, where he submitted false self assessment returns totalling £46,500 after claiming that his business had made substantial losses.
He was sentenced to two years in prison. He had been charged with five counts of fraud by false representation and one count of cheating the public revenue.
On sentencing at the Warwickshire Justice Centre, recorder Mr Tickle, said: “Your greed, arrogance, and selfishness motivated you to commit the fraud.”
Paul Barton, assistant director of investigation, HMRC, said: “This was blatant theft by an accountant who abused his position of trust and used his specialist knowledge to fraudulently line his own pockets. His employer and clients were totally unaware of his criminal behaviour.
“This prosecution reinforces our effectiveness in the crackdown to uncover and bring before the courts those involved in tax evasion and fraud.”