B.C. businessman jailed, fined almost $650K for tax evasion

A businessman based in West Vancouver, B.C., has been sent to jail and fined almost $650,000 for tax evasion, according to the Canada Revenue Agency.

A statement Friday said Michael Curt Helmut Scholz was sentenced to 29 months behind bars after being found guilty of tax-related offences last June.

Scholz was also fined $644,975.71.

His lawyer, Jennifer Flood, told CBC News that Scholz has filed an appeal of his convictions and sentence.

The businessman submitted forged documents related to the construction of a home in West Vancouver's elite British Properties neighbourhood. The agency said he also forged a bare trust agreement to hide the true owner of the property and back up his claim of ineligible input tax credits related to costs for the construction and design of the house.

He also forged a lease agreement to lower the CRA's assessed value of the property, so he could lower the amount of taxes he owed.

Scholz was found guilty of three counts of committing tax-related offences under the Excise Tax Act and two counts of uttering forged documents.

Thirteen people were jailed for a combined total of 18½ years for tax evasion between April 1, 2019 and March 31, 2020. They were sentenced for avoiding $7,427,090 in taxes.