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Tax fraudster given 30 days to pay back £75,000

A tax fraudster who swindled the public out of £75,000 by siphoning cash made from her business into separate accounts has been spared an immediate stint behind bars and ordered to pay back the money within 30 days.

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Between April 2008 and March 2011, Anita Claire, of Kingslow Lane, Pattingham, took money from her Clean 4 You Ltd business and paid it into different accounts to avoid paying the full amounts of national insurance, corporation tax and PAYE liability.

A routine check by HMRC on June 12 last year revealed the wrongdoing, and further investigations took place which found that the 43-year-old had fraudulently avoided tax fees of £75,657.58.

Prosecuting barrister Mr Balvinder Bhatti told Wolverhampton Crown Court that Claire had taken sums of cash out of the main business account at regular intervals over the three years, and put it into separate accounts, including one in the name of her mother.

"The money was used for the running of the business. She also used it for mortgage payments, a holiday and to pay for the lease on a company car."

Claire previously pleaded guilty to cheating public revenue.

Defending, Mr Alastair Bell told the court: "She is of very good character. She had a difficult start in life.

"She married somebody who didn't treat her very well and she was a victim of domestic abuse, he even broke her arm.

"She now knows what she did was wrong. She's run her business since 2006, but hasn't got very strong admin skills. She was so oblivious to what she'd done, she actually handed papers which incriminated her to HMRC staff when they investigated her.

"She employs 15 members of staff at her business, who rely on her to some extent.

"She now has a partner, who also runs a business, and he is having a positive influence in helping her with the admin side of her business."

Judge James Bearbridge told Claire: "You decided that you would not declare money that you had made through your business, you siphoned it off into personal accounts.

"This was going on for almost three years.

"But you had the good sense to plead guilty at the earliest opportunity.

"It doesn't appear you used the money to fund a particularly lavish lifestyle, or used the money to life a life beyond your means.

"As long as you stay out of trouble for the next 18 months you will avoid jail."

He sentenced her to 16 months imprisonment, suspended for 18 months, 100 hours of unpaid work and ordered her to pay back the money within 30 days.

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