widget/exchange-29
widget/exchange-30widget/exchange-33
widget/exchange-31

News / Unpaid work for fishing tax fraudster

A FISHERMAN who admitted fraudulently evading more than £26,000 of tax has been ordered to carry out more than 100 hours of unpaid work.

George Gen, who lives on the Ardent fishing boat at Holmsgarth, Lerwick, previously admitted committing the offence between April 2007 and April 2013 at an address in the town’s Fort Road and elsewhere.

He failed to submit income tax self-assessment forms relating to £169,000 of income for his work as a fisherman – on which he should have paid £26,419 in tax to HMRC.

The 51 year old was given four months to put a repayment plan in place before being sentenced.

At Lerwick Sheriff Court on Wednesday, defence agent Tommy Allan said that the self-employed fisherman has been regularly paying back money since 1 April – a total of at least £6,000 so far.

However Allan suggested that HMRC “are not interested in collecting it”, with Gen now “building up considerable credit”.

offset-carousel/post-mobile/0

Sheriff Philip Mann said that while benefit fraud would merit a jail term, this case was “differential” and did not mean a custodial sentence was inevitable.

He ultimately gave Gen 120 hours of unpaid work to complete within one year.

The sheriff added that the fisherman must report to the social work department whenever he returns to Shetland from a fishing trip in order to carry out the sentence.

Become a supporter of Shetland News

Shetland News is asking its many readers to consider start paying for their dose of the latest local news delivered straight to their PC, tablet or mobile phone.

Journalism comes at a price and because that price is not being paid in today’s rapidly changing media world, most publishers - national and local - struggle financially despite very healthy audience figures.

Most online publishers have started charging for access to their websites, others have chosen a different route. Shetland News currently has  over 600 supporters  who are all making small voluntary financial contributions. All funds go towards covering our cost and improving the service further.

Your contribution will ensure Shetland News can: -

  • Bring you the headlines as they happen;
  • Stay editorially independent;
  • Give a voice to the community;
  • Grow site traffic further;
  • Research and publish more in-depth news, including more Shetland Lives features.

If you appreciate what we do and feel strongly about impartial local journalism, then please become a supporter of Shetland News by either making a single payment or monthly subscription.

Support us from as little as £3 per month – it only takes a minute to sign up. Thank you.

 
Categories
widget/pd_widget-6widget/pd_widget-7widget/pd_widget-8widget/pd_widget-9

Newsletters

Subscribe to a selection of different newsletters from Shetland News, varying from breaking news delivered on the minute, to a weekly round-up of the opinion posts. All delivered straight to your inbox.

Daily Briefing Newsletter Weekly Highlights Newsletter Opinion Newsletter Life in Shetland Newsletter

JavaScript Required

We're sorry, but Shetland News isn't fully functional without JavaScript enabled.
Head over to the help page for instructions on how to enable JavaScript on your browser.

Your Privacy

We use cookies on our site to improve your experience.
By using our service, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy.

Browser is out-of-date

Shetland News isn't fully functional with this version of .
Head over to the help page for instructions on updating your browser for more security, improved speed and the best overall experience on this site.

Interested in Notifications?

Get notifications from Shetland News for important and breaking news.
You can unsubscribe at any time.

Become a supporter of Shetland News

We're committed to ensuring everyone has equitable access to impartial, open and quality local journalism that benefits all residents.

By supporting Shetland News, you play a vital role in ensuring we remain a pivotal resource in supporting the community.

Support us from as little as £3 per month – it only takes a minute to sign up. Thank you.