Former HM Revenue and Customs employee from Halifax ordered to repay stolen tax or face jail

Mohammed Khurshid, 47, of Victoria Road, Halifax, failed to declare or pay any tax on income received from renting properties while working as a VAT Assurance Officer for HMRC.

Khurshid of Victoria Road admitted cheating the public revenue and was sentenced to nine months in prison, suspended for two years, at Bradford Crown Court in May 2017.

At a confiscation hearing at the same court his particular and general criminal benefit was determined as £220,505.

He was ordered to repay this amount within 90 days or face 21 months in prison and still owe the money.

Khurshid was employed at HMRC from September 2001 to January 2016 when he was dismissed.

He failed to declare income he made from renting properties between January 1 2002 and January 31 2015.

Adrian De Ath, Assistant Director, Fraud Investigation Service, HMRC, said: “Khurshid stole taxpayers’ money, which should be used to fund our vital public services. Now he must repay the proceeds of his crime or face time in jail and still owe the money.

“It is important the small minority who cheat the system do not benefit from their crimes and we will always look to recover stolen money.

“We urge anyone with information about suspected tax fraud to report it to HMRC online or call our Fraud Hotline on 0800 788 887.”