Indian-origin alcohol seller banned in UK over tax liabilities

London, Nov 17 (PTI) An Indian-origin alcohol wholesaler from west London has been struck off from holding a company director post for seven years after he was found to have under-declared tax liabilities of over GBP 600,000.

Daljit Singh Dale, 49, was appointed the director of Dale Global Limited in March 2011 shortly after the company was incorporated. Dale Global traded as an alcohol wholesaler and operated out of premises in the Heathrow area of west London, according to the UK’s Insolvency Service on Tuesday.

The wholesaler entered into a Creditors Voluntary Liquidation in March 2019, triggering an investigation by the Insolvency Service.

Much of the public service is funded by the correct amount of taxes being paid, said Lawrence Zussman, Deputy Director of Insolvent Investigations.

When Daljit Dale failed to properly declare the alcohol wholesaler’s tax liabilities, he not only failed to carry out his director duties but also deprived the public purse, he said.

Investigators claim to have established that Daljit Dale failed to ensure that Dale Global Limited submitted accurate returns to the tax authorities and under-declared liabilities worth just over GBP 604,000.

Further enquiries found that when the wholesaler went into liquidation, the tax authorities claimed more than GBP 757,000 from Dale Global. This included the outstanding tax liabilities, penalties worth just over GBP 115,00 and more than GBP 38,000 worth of interest.

Daljit Dale failed to take his responsibilities as a director seriously and his seven-year ban means he has been removed from the business environment for a significant amount of time, which should serve as a warning to other rogue directors, added Zussman.

As part of the undertaking, Daljit Dale did not dispute that the company had failed to ensure Dale Global Limited submitted accurate tax returns to the tax authorities.

As a result, the alcohol wholesaler’s disqualification starts on November 22 and means Daljit Dale is banned from directly or indirectly becoming involved, without the permission of the court, in the promotion, formation or management of a company.

Under UK law, a disqualification order has the effect that without specific permission of a court, a person with a disqualification cannot act as a director of a company; take part, directly or indirectly, in the promotion, formation or management of a company or limited liability partnership; and be a receiver of a company’s property.

Disqualification undertakings are the administrative equivalent of a disqualification order but do not involve court proceedings.