LONDON: Almost a year after he was declared bankrupt by a UK court, Hasan Nawaz, the son of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, was included on a list of “deliberate tax defaulters” by the UK government.
The list, which was published on Tuesday, features the names of scores of individuals and companies that the HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) has issued penalties to for either making deliberate errors in their tax returns or then deliberately failing to comply with their tax obligations.
Hasan Nawaz’s name is the second in the list, which appears to be organised in descending order of penalties and tax owed to the UK government. It identifies Hasan Nawaz as a property developer, with listed addresses at Avenfield House as well as 1 Hyde Park Place — the property at the centre of the National Crime Agency’s 2019 landmark £190 million settlement with property tycoon Malik Riaz. Land records show Hasan Nawaz bought the property for £42m in 2016, with family sources saying it was sold the same year.
The period of default for Hasan Nawaz is identified as April 6, 2015 to April 5, 2016. He owes £9.3m in taxes, with a penalty of £5.2m.
The UK government’s policy of ‘publishing details of deliberate defaulters’ (PDDD) is aimed at reducing the incidence of deliberate defaulting. An individual’s name is included on the publication list if their amount of tax default exceeds £25,000.
In a 2018 report, the HRMC noted, “We believe that the possibility of having their details published will deter people from becoming deliberate defaulters. We also believe that it will encourage deliberate defaulters to come forward and put their tax affairs in order. By coming forward, deliberate defaulters may be able to avoid having their details published.”
Interestingly at the time, the report also said that due to a very limited awareness of publication, PDDD was “not seen as an effective deterrent against defaulting on tax obligations”.
“In terms of perceived impact, it was not expected to have any adverse effect on individuals. Some felt it may affect the willingness of people to deal with businesses whose details have been published, if the list and its purpose was more widely publicised,” it said.
In April 2024, Hasan Nawaz was declared bankrupt by the High Court of Justice. According to official records, the bankruptcy petition was filed on Aug 25, 2023, by the HMRC over unpaid liabilities. The bankruptcy order was issued on April 29, 2024, following a creditor’s petition.
The HMRC, which frequently files such petitions, initiated the action through its Contracts Management Team in Liverpool.
