Ian Jordan of Burley jailed for six years at Bournemouth Crown Court after £2.5m tax fraud at Jordan Decorative Shop Fitting Ltd
A NEW Forest company director has been jailed for more than six years after cheating the public purse out of £2.5m that he spent on a lavish lifestyle of luxury cars, jewellery and holidays.
Ian Jordan, of Beechwood Lane, Burley, committed the tax evasion fraud over a period of more than five years, starting in January 2012.
The 56-year-old denied the charge but was convicted after a jury trial in February in which he was prosecuted by HM Revenue and Customs.
He was jailed last week by Judge Stephen Climie who sentenced him at Bournemouth Crown Court to six years and three months behind bars.
The charge related to Jordan’s company, Jordan Decorative Shop Fitting Ltd, which has since been liquidated.
It has left debts of more than £500,000, according to documents submitted to Companies House.
The tax evasion scheme was carried out between January 2012 and March 2017.
It involved lying about figures in documents submitted for VAT and corporation tax for the joinery installation company, first incorporated in February 2009.
False VAT invoices amounted to just over £682,800, with the amount of corporation tax evaded coming to nearly £1.83m.
In total, Jordan cheated more than £2.51m from the taxman.
Bournemouth Crown Court heard how he used the money to buy expensive items of jewellery, make home improvements and garden landscaping, and to fund mortgage payments and luxury holidays.
He also spent it on high-end vehicles including a Bentley, Range Rovers, classic cars and a Jaguar E Type.
He carried out the years of offending while sole director and shareholder of Jordan Decorative Shop Fitting Ltd.
Richard Wilkinson, assistant director at HMRC’s fraud investigation service, said after the sentencing: “No crime is victimless.
“Tax crime robs our vital public services of much-needed funds and can fuel a raft of other illegal activity that harms communities.
“HMRC is on the side of the law-abiding majority and will pursue the small minority who think they can steal the money that funds our public services like schools and the NHS.”
He added: “We encourage anyone with information about any type of tax fraud to report it to us online.”
Companies House documents show how in February last year the Ringwood branch of Quantuma Advisory Ltd was called in to voluntarily liquidate Jordan Decorative Shop Fitting Ltd.
- To report tax fraud, visit www.gov.uk/report-tax-fraud
