Hamilton man pleads guilty to tax evasion

A Hamilton man and trucking company have pleaded guilty to tax evasion, the Canada Revenue Agency said Wednesday.

According to the CRA, Zoran Sudar of Hamilton and Ancaster, Ont.-based San Antonio Carriers Corp. pleaded guilty to two counts of income tax evasion and one count of GST evasion in Hamilton on Nov. 22.

San Antonio Carriers Corp. has been fined $115,380 and given nine months to pay.

Sudar is expected to be sentenced on April 19, 2013.

"Canadian taxpayers must have confidence in the fairness of the tax system," said Vince Pranjivan, deputy assistant commissioner for the Ontario region of the CRA. "To maintain that confidence, the Canada Revenue Agency is determined to hold tax evaders accountable for their actions."

A CRA investigation found that from 2006 to 2008, Sudar falsified documents and cheques to show payments of around $500,000 to a fictitious supplier.

According to court records obtained by the CRA, the falsified payments were made to cover Sudar's personal expenses.

Sudar failed to report income of more than $400,000 and San Antonio Carriers Corp. underreported approximately $500,000 in corporate income, according to the CRA.

The agency says Sudar evaded $124,000 in personal income taxes and San Antonio Carriers Corp. evaded corporate income tax payments of $75,000.

According to the CRA, San Antonio also claimed input tax credits for the falsified expenses and received $53,841 in GST refunds from January 2005 to December 2007.