Oshawa, June 4, 2013...The Canada Revenue Agency
(CRA) announced today that on May 31, 2013, Ms. Doreen Tennina was found
guilty in the Superior Court of Justice in Oshawa, Ontario, on two
counts of fraud over $5,000 under the Criminal Code and was
sentenced to the maximum period of 10 years in jail on each count to be
served concurrently. She was also ordered to pay a fine of $699,608 for
causing her company, Executive Accounting, to fail to report income from
the tax evasion scheme.
Ms. Tennina is currently under arrest in Spain, where she previously
owned properties. Extradition proceedings are underway. Once Tennina is
back in Canada she will commence serving her sentence.
Ms. Tennina, Director and owner of 1517069 Ontario Inc., also known
as Executive Accounting, provided tax preparation and accounting related
services.
In November 2006, the CRA, as part of their investigation, executed
search warrants on Ms. Tennina’s residence, place of business and a
storage facility. Documents obtained during the searches revealed that
she had fraudulently claimed carrying charges and charitable donations
totalling $58,500,000 on 4,200 income tax returns that she prepared on
behalf of her clients for the 2003 to 2005 tax years. These false claims
reduced the amount of federal taxes owed by over $10,000,000.
Ms. Tennina’s corporation, 1517069 Ontario Inc., failed to report
taxable income of $2.8 million for the years 2003 to 2005 resulting in
the evasion of $699,608 in federal tax.
The preceding information was obtained from the court records.
“Canadian taxpayers must have confidence in the fairness of the tax
system,” said Darrell Mahoney, Assistant Commissioner, Ontario Region,
CRA. “To maintain that confidence, the Canada Revenue Agency is
determined to hold tax evaders accountable for their actions.”
Taxpayers who claim false expenses, credits or rebates from the
government are subject to serious consequences. They are liable not only
for corrections to their tax returns and payment of the full amount of
tax owing, but also to penalties and interest. In addition, if convicted
of tax evasion, the court may fine them up to 200% of the tax evaded
and sentence them for up to a five-year jail term.
Taxpayers who have not filed returns for previous years, or who have
not reported all of their income, can still voluntarily correct their
tax affairs. They may not be penalized or prosecuted if they make a
valid disclosure before they become aware of any compliance action being
initiated by the CRA against them. These taxpayers may only have to pay
the taxes owing, plus interest. More information on the Voluntary
Disclosures Program (VDP) can be found on the CRA's Web site at www.cra.gc.ca/voluntarydisclosures.
Further information on convictions can also be found in the Media Room on the CRA website at
www.cra.gc.ca/convictions.
Canada Revenue Agency
This a a reproduction copy of an official work that is published by the Government of Canada and that the reproduction has not been produced in affiliation with, or with the endorsement of the Government of Canada.
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