Grant Isaac Smiith, a former resident of Gabriola who now lives in Boyle, Alta., was sentenced in Nanaimo provincial court last week for one count of income tax evasion and one count of excise tax evasion.
The conviction resulted from a Canada Revenue Agency investigation that determined Smith, a self-employed roofer, underreported his income by $205,307 on his 2005 to 2008 income tax returns. Smith reported what he earned installing roofs for a construction company under the trade name Hipshot Roofing, but failed to report income earned from other roofing jobs on the side.
Smith also claimed false expenses and other non-deductible personal expenditures. In total, Smith evaded $44,026 in federal income tax and failed to collect and remit $12,054 in GST.
Smith pleaded guilty to the charges and was sentenced to 160 of community service and fined $42,075, reflecting 75 per cent of the evaded taxes and total Goods and Services Tax he failed to submit.