A Halifax businessman was fined more than $ 113,000 for filing false GST / HST reports for two quarterly periods in 2012.
Hotel and restaurant owner Pantelis Panagiotis Giannoulis, also known as Peter Giannnoulis Sr., pleaded guilty to the Halifax Provincial Court last week of bringing two false information charges under the federal excise tax law.
73-year-old Giannoulis was sentenced to two fines totaling $ 113,223, equal to 100 percent of the taxes avoided.
In addition to the fines imposed by Judge Aleta Cromwell, Giannoulis must pay the full amount of tax plus interest and any civil penalties determined by the Canada Revenue Agency.
An investigation by CRA found that Giannoulis knowingly underestimated the amount of tax levied on customers at the Comfort Hotel Bayers Lake and the former Canadiana Pub and Grill between April 1 and September 30, 2012.
The fines are payable by July this year and have a prison term of up to 758 days in custody.