Laval businessman fined more than $143,000 for evading provincial tax

Revenu Québec said on Tuesday that a Laval business owner and two transport logistics companies he owns have been fined $143,066.41 after being found guilty of taking part in a scheme to avoid paying provincial taxes.

Thierry Millet, 53, who is listed in the Quebec government business registry as president and chief stakeholder in Cargo Pole Inc. and 9080-5441 Québec Inc., pleaded guilty on July 14 at the Palais de Justice in Montreal to 52 tax evasion-related charges.

According to Revenu Québec, Millet admitted he created a number of corporations with the goal of using them to ask for tax credit refunds.

In a press release, the agency said Cargo Pole Inc. and 9080-5441 Québec Inc. requested refunds on input tax, as well as tax credits on inputs linked to transactions carried out by their principal supplier, Synergies Optimum Inc.

Revenu Québec says this latter company was not remitting to the government the net tax which was due, while Millet was acting in his capacity as the de facto administrator of Synergies Optimum Inc. The tax agency executed a search warrant at his home in Laval on Jan. 22 last year.