Gwynedd hotel director banned from running a company for three years
The director of a hotel in Caernarfon, Gwynedd, has been banned from acting as a director for three years after running up a VAT bill of more than £50,000.
Angharad Anwyl, 65, who had been a director of the four-bedroom Castle hotel for 22 years, was disqualified following an investigation by the Insolvency Service which found that the property has entered into liquidation in February 2012 with debts of £145,968. As well as VAT liabilities of £50,444, business rates of £18,347 were also owed.
While the company paid out £518,393 to various creditors from November 2010, the investigation found that no payments were made to HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) for VAT.
Robert Clarke, head of Insolvency Investigations North at the Insolvency Service, said that action will be taken against directors who do not take their obligations seriously and abuse their position of trust.
"Company directors have a duty to ensure businesses meet their legal obligations, including paying taxes," he said. "Tax evasion is not a victimless offence as it deprives the taxpayer of the funds needed to operate public services."
Anwyl gave an undertaking that she would not act as a director of take part in the management or control of any limited company until 6 February 2017.