Reginald Mercer faces 35 charges under the Income Tax Act and Excise Tax Act — 16 counts of willfully evading payment or remittance of tax or net tax, 10 counts of unlawfully obtaining a tax rebate or refund, four counts of making a false statement on a tax return, four counts of making a false statement in a return, application or certificate, and one count of evading payment of taxes.
Those charges cover a four-year period from the beginning of 2010 to the end of 2013. According to court documents, it's alleged the 63-year-old failed to claim almost $614,000 over the course of those four years, leaving him with over $108,000 owed for income tax.
He's also accused of understating the net tax on GST returns over that same period by almost $110,000. This figure comes from 10 quarterly filing periods for Mercer, operating as Mercer Transportation.
Through Mercer Transportation, he's also accused of willfully obtaining or attempting to obtain GST refunds totaling $42,904.
Charges against Mercer, which have not been proven in court, were laid Jan. 18. At Harbour Grace Provincial Court Wednesday, federal Crown prosecutor Bill House said disclosure was available to be picked up and suggested the defence will need some time to review it. The case returns to Harbour Grace May 24.
