A COUNTRY house B&B has been fined more than £40,000 and named on a public list for deliberately defaulting on tax.
Cotswold Classics Ltd, formerly of The Court House in Shelsey Walsh, Worcestershire, has been penalised by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) in its latest round of enforcement.
The company was found to have defaulted on £64,603 for the period January 1, 2020, to May 31, 2024.
Kevin Hubbard, director of small business and individuals at HMRC, said: “Too many high streets have businesses that are undercutting their honest neighbours by failing to pay the tax they owe.
“That is unfair to compliant businesses and to the communities they serve, and we are determined to tackle it.
“Among those named are takeaways, convenience stores and other high street businesses from across the UK – a reminder that HMRC’s work to tackle non-compliance reaches into every part of the country.”
READ MORE: Worcestershire takeaways handed £100,000 in tax fines
DEFAULTERS: The HMRC has publicly named those who have been found to have deliberately failed to pay tax. (Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)
Described in HMRC documents as a “boutique country house B&B,” Cotswold Classics Ltd was listed among more than 150 individuals and businesses penalised.
The venue – which had an upmarket country image at its Malvern Hills location – was fined £40,376.87.
HMRC said all those named deliberately failed to pay at least £25,000 in tax and did not make a full disclosure when its investigation began – a step that would have kept their details off the list.
Cotswold Classics Ltd’s activities include hotels and the renting and leasing of cars, separate documents show.
The Companies House records show that the business has overdue accounts and is the subject of an active strike-off motion.
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Only civil penalties appear on the HMRC list, which remains published for 12 months. Criminal convictions for tax fraud are not included.
The list released today is part of HMRC’s wider enforcement drive, which is expected to result in 30,000 interventions during the current financial year.
Efforts include:
The Worcester News was unable to reach Cotswold Classics Ltd for comment at the time of publication.