Revenu Québec announces that a 67-year-old woman who ran a construction company that turned out to be fake, Gestion Linadurand, was sentenced to 24 months in prison and fines totaling $405,315 after being found guilty charges of tax fraud against her at the Montreal courthouse.

According to Revenu Québec, Esther Millien Linares made false or misleading statements on behalf of her business in order to request tax refunds to which she was not entitled for the 2014 to 2018 fiscal years.

According to Revenu-Québec, “the investigation notably showed that Ms. Linares and her company requested a total reimbursement of $438,428.30 by making 48 fraudulent tax declarations in which a false turnover was declared. »

Also, according to Revenu Québec, “the documentary and circumstantial evidence administered established that the defendants collected sums of $177,503 in relation to the GST (federal tax on goods and services) and $203,650 in relation to the QST (tax of sale of Quebec) for a total of $381,154, even though they were not entitled to it. »

“To implement her fraudulent scheme, Ms. Linares used several methods to legitimize her company and make it appear that it was carrying out a commercial activity,” indicates Revenu Québec in its press release announcing this conviction.

Among other things, “Ms. Linares used nominees in order to hide her central role in the scheme as well as the exclusive control she had over the company.”

However, according to Revenu Québec, “the company’s nominees and staff had no real task. The staff members did not have the skills required to carry out their so-called work in connection with a supposed construction company. »