Surrey bookkeeper helped hotels evade nearly $1 million in GST, CRA says

Aeddy Leung worked as the bookkeeper for the Quality Hotel Airport (South), left, and the Coast Vancouver Airport Hotel during the 2014 through 2018 tax filing periods, the CRA said in a statement Friday. (Photos from hotel websites)

A Surrey accountant has received a two-year conditional sentence and two years of probation after pleading guilty to tax evasion charges, according to the Canada Revenue Agency.

Aeddy Leung worked as the bookkeeper for the Quality Hotel Airport (South) and the Coast Vancouver Airport Hotel during the 2014 through 2018 tax filing periods, the CRA said in a statement Friday.

During those years, the Surrey resident “intentionally filed false GST/HST returns and failed to file GST/HST returns as required,” according to the statement.

“This resulted in the evasion of $987,863 in net GST/HST that was owed by the hotels,” the statement reads.

Leung pleaded guilty to willfully evading remittance tax and to making false statements on GST/HST returns.

The sentence was handed down in provincial court in Vancouver on April 15, the CRA said.

The agency thanked the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada (FINTRAC) – the federal anti-money-laundering agency – for its “significant contribution” to the investigation that led to Leung’s guilty pleas.

“Combatting tax evasion and other financial crimes is important for the protection of Canada’s tax base,” the CRA said. “The majority of Canadians pay their taxes in full and on time. To ensure that the tax system is fair for everyone, the CRA makes sure that people who try to avoid or evade paying taxes are held accountable.”

In addition to any court-imposed fines or jail sentences, convicted taxpayers must pay the full amount of tax they owe, plus any interest and penalties assessed by the CRA.

In Leung’s case, the conditional sentence of two years less a day will be served in the community, rather than behind bars. CTV News has reached out to the CRA for clarification about whether it is Leung or the hotels that are responsible for repaying the evaded taxes. This story will be updated if a response is received.