Boss of Oracle reseller banned for six years for dodgy VAT returns
1st Milestone entered administration last year, revealing six-figure VAT issue
A director of a key Oracle partner has been disqualified after the company's administration revealed that he falsified VAT returns to the tune of nearly £150,000.
From tomorrow, Mario Sanvitale, general manager and director of 1st Milestone Limited, will be disqualified for a period of six years.
The company, which according to Sanvitale's LinkedIn page was a high-ranking Oracle partner, entered administration on 1 August 2016. On LinkedIn, he claims the company was one of Europe's largest suppliers of Oracle's portfolio management offering Primavera.
Following the administration, an investigation found that Sanvitale had caused the company to submit two false VAT returns to HMRC when declaring sales made between December 2015 and July 2016.
Had these returns been done properly, HMRC would have been owed £146,884 in additional VAT, said the Insolvency Service. At the point the company went into administration, HMRC was already owed £147,505 in VAT.
Sue McLeod, chief investigator at the Insolvency Service, said Sanvitale's actions are serious.
"Falsifying VAT returns is dishonest and gains an unfair advantage over competitors," she said. "Taking action against Mr Sanvitale is a warning to all directors to seriously consider, and ensure they perform their duties and obligations and not hide behind the corporate veil."
A disqualification order of this kind prevents an individual from acting as a company director, being a receiver of a company's property, or taking part in the promotion, formation of management of a company for the period of time enforced.