Director of equipment manufacturer barred from directorships for five years over unpaid VAT.
Craig Allsopp, the director of Demeq (UK) Ltd, a company which manufactured demolition equipment in Bradford, West Yorkshire, has been banned from acting as a director for five years for failing to pay VAT. The disqualification follows an investigation by The Insolvency Service.
Allsopp, 39, has given an undertaking to the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills that he will not act as a director of a limited company for five years with effect from 19th November 2012.
The investigation showed that Demeq (UK) Ltd failed to submit VAT returns from late 2001. In July 2010 tax officials undertook an inspection visit to the company, following which Allsopp agreed to complete the missing returns which were eventually completed and submitted in August and October 2010.
Demeq (UK) Ltd also failed to disclose £253,742 of VAT from sales in the period from August 2001 to May 2010.
Claire Entwistle, Director of Company Investigations (North), said:
“Mr Allsopp failed to ensure that the company complied with its statutory requirements to submit returns and pay VAT for a significant period, while continuing to charge VAT on its sales. “The company kept the money paid by its customers in tax. This is stealing twice – first from those customers who paid the VAT, and second from the Crown, to whom the VAT was owed. The public can be assured that The Insolvency Service will take tough action against directors who fail in their statutory obligations to hand over money collected on behalf of the Crown.”
