Restaurant owner jailed for tax fraud served directorship ban

A restaurant owner who was jailed for two years for tax fraud has been served a nine-year directorship ban.

Jilan Moore, 68, was the director of Beijing Dragon Catering, which ran three Beijing Dragon restaurants in Spilsby, Grimsby and Skegness.

Tax authorities discovered that Beijing Dragon Catering deliberately suppressed sales and under-declared tax owed between February 2014 and April 2015.

The authorities sought to reclaim more than £100,000 in unpaid taxes but Beijing Dragon Catering could not afford to pay its debts.

Moore was sentenced in March 2017 to two years imprisonment having been found guilty of tax fraud. She has since been released from jail.

On 15 January this year, the secretary of state accepted a disqualification undertaking from Moore, after she admitted causing Beijing Dragon to submit five false tax returns and banned her from directly or indirectly becoming involved in the formation or management of a company for nine years.

Dave Elliott, chief examiner for the Insolvency Service, said: "This wasn't a case of Jilan Moore simply forgetting to pay the correct tax, rather she deliberately and wilfully suppressed sales and under-declared her tax contributors to avoid paying what she rightfully owed.

"This disqualification will send a clear message to other company directors that tax abuse of any kind, particularly when it comes to suppression of takings, will not be tolerated."