By Lucy Caulkett-
A restaurant owner and his brother have been jailed for stealing more than £87,000 tax.
Atikul Hoque, 34, of Idle Road, and Samsul Hoque, 38, of Delberne Road, both in Bradford, hid business earnings, appropriating for themselves VAT and Corporation Tax due to HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC).The brothers pocketed £78,665 in VAT and £9,254 in Corporation Tax between 2012 and 2017.
When HMRC officers visited an Indian restaurant run by Atkil called Aroma on Zetland Street, in Northallerton, North Yorkshire, they discovered business earnings were paid into two bank accounts; but Atikul only told HMRC about earnings from one of the accounts.
Samsul worked at the restaurant and was the named holder on the other account which was used to hide sales totalling £283,354.The brothers pocketed £78,665 in VAT and £9,254 in Corporation Tax between 2012 and 2017. Samsul Hoque was found guilty of VAT and Corporation Tax fraud at Teesside Crown Court on March 4 this year. He was sentenced to 18 months in prison and disqualified from being a company director for four years at the same court yesterday.
Atikul Hoque pleaded guilty to VAT and Corporation Tax fraud at Teesside Crown Court on April 23 last year. He was sentenced to 12 months in prison and disqualified from being a company director for four years.