Vancouver tax preparers receive 51-month jail sentence for fraud

Vancouver, British Columbia, May 11, 2016… The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) announced today that, yesterday, Fareed Raza and Saheem Raza were each sentenced by a judge of the British Columbia Supreme Court in Vancouver to a jail sentence of 51 months. Both were convicted on December 2, 2015, of one count of fraud over $5,000 under the Criminal Code.

A CRA investigation determined that from 2003 to 2009, Fareed and Saheem Raza, while operating F&A Accounting Corporation and Fareed Raza & Co. Inc., prepared and supplied fraudulent charitable donation receipts to a number of their clients. The receipts were forged using the name of Mehfuz Children Welfare Trust, a registered charity.

Faiz Kahn, who worked for F&A Accounting Corporation and Fareed Raza & Co., was also convicted of one count of attempted fraud under $5,000, but received an absolute discharge.

The preceding information was obtained from the court records.

Taxpayers who claim false expenses, credits or rebates from the government are subject to serious consequences. They are liable not only for corrections to their tax returns and payment of the full amount of tax owing, but also to penalties and interest. In addition, if convicted of tax evasion, the court may fine them up to 200% of the tax evaded and impose a jail term of up to five years.

If you have ever made a tax mistake or omission, the CRA is offering you a second chance to make things right through its Voluntary Disclosures Program (VDP). If you make a valid disclosure before you become aware that the CRA is taking action against you, you may only have to pay the taxes owing plus interest. More information on the VDP can be found on the CRA's website at www.cra.gc.ca/voluntarydisclosures.

Further information on convictions can also be found in the Media Room on the CRA website at www.cra.gc.ca/convictions.

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For media information

Heidi Hofstad
Communications Manager
604-666- 9389

Date modified:

2016-05-12