Popular Kettering restaurant firm didn't pay its taxes

A firm which ran a popular Thai restaurant in Kettering has been penalised for deliberately defaulting on tax payments.

Sugjarern Limited, which formerly traded as Tong Thai Restaurant in Bignal Court, has been included on a list published by the Government showing businesses which didn't pay their share towards funding public services.

Between April 2014 and July 2018 they defaulted on tax worth £42,427.22 and the firm was hit with a penalty charge of £16,334.43.

But Companies House shows Sugjarern Limited was officially dissolved on September 16. The restaurant is now run by Newsome Investments Limited.

The sole director of Newsome Investments Limited, Phayi Newsome, was also a director at Sugjarern Limited.

A spokesman for HMRC was unable to confirm what Sugjarern Limited did to receive the penalty and whether any of the penalty has been paid "due to taxpayer confidentiality".

But the spokesman said: “We are committed to making sure people pay the tax they owe.

"For the minority who refuse to pay, HMRC has a range of tools available and we are able to publish the names of those penalised under civil procedures for deliberately defaulting on certain tax obligations.

"This is about influencing behaviour by encouraging defaulters to engage with HMRC.”

The Government publishes the list to deter those thinking of deliberately defaulting on their obligations, encourage them to make a full disclosure to avoid being named and reassure honest companies who pay their share towards funding public services that they are cracking down on those who don't.

It includes details of taxpayers who’ve incurred a penalty because they’ve either deliberately provided one or more inaccurate documents to HMRC, deliberately failed to comply with an HMRC obligation or committed a VAT or excise wrongdoing.

HMRC only publishes the details where the taxpayer has not made a full and immediate disclosure when they started to investigate or prior to any investigation.

Tong Thai, a family business which boasts of selling authentic Thai cuisine, has not responded to repeated requests for a comment.

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