Two property developer brothers have been sentenced for stealing more than £3.2 million in an offshore tax scam.
In a statement on 18 July, the UK's HMRC said Stephen Hirst, 62, and his brother Michael, 55, both from Yorkshire, used offshore companies in overseas territories to hide money from the sale of land in Wakefield to evade paying tax.
During sentencing at Leeds Crown Court on 18 July it was confirmed the men had paid back the entire £3,247,613, along with prosecution costs of £31,500.
They were both handed two-year prison sentences, suspended for two years, fined a total of £20,000 and handed director disqualifications.
The pair had been given the chance to come clean about their tax affairs when HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) began a civil tax investigation in 2013.
They were offered the chance to pay what was owed plus a penalty through a formal civil process known as a Contractual Disclosure Facility (CDF) or a ‘COP9’. The COP9 process requires the taxpayer to make a “full, open and honest” disclosure or face a criminal investigation.
The men initially failed to respond and then provided only partial information, which resulted in a criminal investigation being launched in November 2016.
Investigators went on to prove that offshore companies in Gibraltar and the British Virgin Islands were controlled by the brothers and used to facilitate the tax fraud.
Zoe Gascoyne, deputy director, Fraud Investigation Service, HMRC, said: “Stephen and Michael Hirst had numerous opportunities to be honest about their tax affairs.
“Instead, they lied about the network of firms and ownership structures they had set up to commit fraud and have ended up with criminal convictions.
“We are pleased to have recovered every penny of the money they stole, which will now be used on the public services we all rely on.
“We continue to work tirelessly to ensure the tax system is fair to all and this case shows once again that we will work with international partners to ensure a level playing for all taxpayers.”
Andrew Fox from the Crown Prosecution Service said: “The defendants dishonestly manipulated the system and made every attempt to evade their tax liabilities.
“The amount of unpaid tax was substantial, and involved millions of pounds that should rightly have been paid into the public purse. We are pleased to have secured justice and the repayment of the tax.
“Our specialist prosecutors will continue to work closely with investigators such as HMRC to prosecute cases of tax fraud and bring perpetrators to justice.”
The Hirst’s ran a property development firm called TIMS Investments Ltd based in Wakefield.
In 2007 they transferred a large plot of UK land in Wakefield to a company of the same name in Gibraltar. This land, which has since been developed into a housing estate, was sold by the Gibraltar-based company for £10.9m.
The Hirst’s managed and controlled the Gibraltar-based firm from the UK. The brothers were not registered as owners of the firm, but controlled it via another company they owned in the British Virgin Islands, which was also named TIMS Investments Ltd.
They should have declared ownership of these companies and paid tax on the sale of the land – but they failed to do so and evaded £3.2m in corporation tax in the process.
The men pleaded guilty to charges of cheating the public revenue on July 18, 2023, and at a court hearing in January 2024 asked for sentencing to be deferred to give them time to repay the money. The total was paid on 4 June 2024.
