Businessman fined $1.9m for tax breach
Published:Thursday | March 31, 2022 | 12:09 AM
Businessman Richard Rogers, director of Rogers Land Development Limited, was fined $1.9 million by the court for making a false declaration to Tax Administration Jamaica (TAJ).
The tax collectorate said Rogers breached Section 99 (1) of the Income Tax Act (ITA).
TAJ said its intelligence, investigation and enforcement and legal units prosecuted the businessman.
Rogers pleaded guilty on March 21, in the Sutton Street tax court, to two counts of making false declaration.
TAJ’s legal counsel led evidence that, for the period January 1 to December 31, 2018, and October 1, 2019 to September 30, 2020, Rogers Land Development Limited filed income tax returns indicating that the business collected no income for the stated period.
“Any person who, for the purpose of obtaining any allowance, reduction, rebate or repayment in respect to income tax either for himself or for any other person, or who in any return, statement, declaration, form or particulars delivered under this act, knowingly makes any false statement or false representation, commits an offence, and shall be liable,” TAJ said in a statement issued Wednesday.
First offenders will be subjected to a fine not exceeding $2 million or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding one year.
Taxpayers are being reminded that failure to report correct income, profits or gains as defined within the income Tax Act will result in enforcement action.
Persons may obtain further information on the tax law and related matters by contacting the TAJ customer care centre at 888-TAX-HELP (888-829-4357) or the nearest tax office.