Pub operator disqualified for failing to pay £178k tax bill

The former tenant of the Fox and Hounds pub in Lyndhurst, Hampshire, has been disqualified from acting as a company director for eight years for failing to make tax payments of £178,000.

Nasser Ghesmati, 56, failed to make the payments despite transferring over half a million pounds out of his company bank account.

Ghesmati was the director of the company running the Fuller, Smith and Turner pub. However, following an investigation by the Insolvency Service after the company went into liquidation, it was found that he had not kept proper accounting records to explain why £580,530 had left the company bank account between April 2012 and April 2013.

This was despite owing HMRC large amounts for VAT, PAYE and National Insurance payments.

At liquidation in April 2013, the company owed in excess of £178,000 to HMRC in relation to arrears of VAT, PAYE and National Insurance Contributions. These outstanding taxes date back to October 2011 and continued to increase until liquidation.

Ghesmati failed to appear in court to see the eight-year disqualification order being made at Southampton County Court, following proceedings being brought by the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills.

Ghesmati was also ordered to pay costs in excess of £4,500.

Mark Bruce, chief investigator with the Insolvency Service, said: "This disqualification sends a clear message to other company directors that if you do not take your responsibilities seriously, we will act to disqualify you.

"In this case, it seems the director took off with over half a million pounds, and short-changed the public purse by £178,000. Hard-working people who pay their taxes will understandably be shocked by this behaviour and that is why we have removed him from the business environment."

Company directors have a statutory duty under the Companies Act to keep suitable accounting records, and among other things, allow creditors to be identified should a company go bust.

The pub is now a managed house under Fuller, Smith & Turner.

Insolvent Cardiff restaurant director banned for six years >>

Pub boss disqualified from directorships because of £1m tax bill >>

Cumbria-based director of Paulo Gianni group disqualified for five years >>