'Masterchef' Gordon Ramsey may face tax problems: report
An alleged memo to the British internal revenue service from Trevor James, former finance director for the restaurant guru, said the cause.
Celebrity Chef Gordon Ramsey may be in hot water with the taxman.
A major tax problem is boiling over for chef Gordon Ramsay.
The 46-year-old cooking star is facing fraud accusations relating to an unpaid seven-figure tax bill after a damning memo was leaked to tax officials, according to the Daily Mail.
The memo was cooked up by Trevor James, a former finance director of Ramsay’s restaurant empire and slipped to the UK’s internal revenue service.
It alleges the colossal tax bill was covered up during a previous investigation of Ramsay’s businesses in 2010, according to the London paper’s Mail Online.
Ramsay fired James under “mysterious circumstances” earlier this year, the paper said.
The chef’s cooking empire first drew the scrutiny of the tax man in 2005, amid claims that management had been abusing cash from the company’s tips fund. After agreeing to pay back some outstanding tax, Ramsay was later cleared of wrongdoing.
RELATED: GORDON RAMSAY, WILL FERRELL INJURED IN SOCCER GAME
James was Ramsay’s chief interrogator in that probe. The television chef and restaurateur hired him in 2011.
Now officials from the government’s tax arm have launched a second probe into Gordon Ramsay Holdings after accusations surfaced that James misled the tax men during the previous investigation.
Ramsay has denied any wrongdoing, the Daily Mail reported.
His spokesman insisted he had personally disclosed the document to tax officials as soon as he was made aware of it.
The government’s tax arm is “satisfied Gordon was unaware of its contents,” the spokesman told the Daily Mail.
The tough-talking chef has hired consulting firm Deloitte to help clear his name.
RELATED: CELEBRITY CHEF IN THE HOT SEAT
Five senior partners from the firm were reportedly trawling through some 30,000 emails in a bid to protect Ramsay.
The case is a civil matter, but the tax officials have the power to bring criminal charges in cases of serious tax evasion.
The penalties can include jail.
In the memo, James reportedly boasted about the success he had reducing the company’s tax liabilities by misleading the government. The memo also alleged that money from the staff tips fund was used inappropriately.
Asked about the allegations Friday night, the TV star chef was dismissive.
“Complete and utter rubbish,” he said.
rschapiro@nydailynews.com
Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/wor...oblems-report-article-1.1423496#ixzz2bfjbsBmN
An alleged memo to the British internal revenue service from Trevor James, former finance director for the restaurant guru, said the cause.
Celebrity Chef Gordon Ramsey may be in hot water with the taxman.
A major tax problem is boiling over for chef Gordon Ramsay.
The 46-year-old cooking star is facing fraud accusations relating to an unpaid seven-figure tax bill after a damning memo was leaked to tax officials, according to the Daily Mail.
The memo was cooked up by Trevor James, a former finance director of Ramsay’s restaurant empire and slipped to the UK’s internal revenue service.
It alleges the colossal tax bill was covered up during a previous investigation of Ramsay’s businesses in 2010, according to the London paper’s Mail Online.
Ramsay fired James under “mysterious circumstances” earlier this year, the paper said.
The chef’s cooking empire first drew the scrutiny of the tax man in 2005, amid claims that management had been abusing cash from the company’s tips fund. After agreeing to pay back some outstanding tax, Ramsay was later cleared of wrongdoing.
RELATED: GORDON RAMSAY, WILL FERRELL INJURED IN SOCCER GAME
James was Ramsay’s chief interrogator in that probe. The television chef and restaurateur hired him in 2011.
Now officials from the government’s tax arm have launched a second probe into Gordon Ramsay Holdings after accusations surfaced that James misled the tax men during the previous investigation.
Ramsay has denied any wrongdoing, the Daily Mail reported.
His spokesman insisted he had personally disclosed the document to tax officials as soon as he was made aware of it.
The government’s tax arm is “satisfied Gordon was unaware of its contents,” the spokesman told the Daily Mail.
The tough-talking chef has hired consulting firm Deloitte to help clear his name.
RELATED: CELEBRITY CHEF IN THE HOT SEAT
Five senior partners from the firm were reportedly trawling through some 30,000 emails in a bid to protect Ramsay.
The case is a civil matter, but the tax officials have the power to bring criminal charges in cases of serious tax evasion.
The penalties can include jail.
In the memo, James reportedly boasted about the success he had reducing the company’s tax liabilities by misleading the government. The memo also alleged that money from the staff tips fund was used inappropriately.
Asked about the allegations Friday night, the TV star chef was dismissive.
“Complete and utter rubbish,” he said.
rschapiro@nydailynews.com
Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/wor...oblems-report-article-1.1423496#ixzz2bfjbsBmN