An Aberdeen couple are facing court over allegations they fraudulently evaded paying almost £500,000 in income tax and national insurance contributions.
Raymond and Ilene Esslemont, both 70, face a total of four charges of tax evasion between 2006 and 2019 in respect of themselves individually and also their employees.
The pair, whose address was given in court papers as Margaret Place, Aberdeen, deny the charges against them.
It is alleged that, between January 1 2006 and August 5 2011, the duo were “knowingly concerned in the fraudulent evasion of income tax” in respect of both their own income and that of their employees.
The charge states during that period Raymond Esslemont failed to pay £114,182.68 of income tax and that Ilene Esslemont failed to pay £120,261 of income tax. It’s alleged they both failed to pay £31,718.18 of income tax in respect of their employees.
The offences are said to have been committed at Russell Road in Aberdeen, Fish House in the city’s Old Ford Road and elsewhere.
A second charge states that, between the same dates, the couple failed to pay £14,049.96 in national insurance contributions in respect of themselves and £39,846.60 in respect of their employees.
Sums involved amount to more than £480,000
The two remaining charges involve only Raymond Esslemont and cover a period between August 5 2011 and April 5 2019 at the same locations.
They allege that he failed to pay £96,824.27 in income tax in respect to his own income, and £19,099.40 in respect of his employees.
It is also alleged he knowingly failed to pay £17,615.11 in national insurance contributions for himself and £30,904.13 for his employees.
Across all four charges, the sums involved amount to £382,085.53 in income tax and £102,415.80 in national insurance contributions – a total of £484,501.33.
The pair were not personally present when the case called against them at Aberdeen Sheriff Court, but entered pleas of not guilty through solicitor Ian Woodward-Nutt.
Sheriff Graham Buchanan fixed a further hearing for April.
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