Landscaping boss ignored director ban and racked up £300,000 in unpaid tax across two companies
Director banned for 12 years
- Neil Aldridge was first banned as a company director in 2019 for three-and-a-half years after his landscaping firm failed to pay more than £80,000 in tax
- Aldridge disregarded the disqualification and continued to run a phoenix company which accumulated hundreds of thousands of pounds in tax debts
- He has now been disqualified from running companies until February 2038
An Oxfordshire landscaping boss who ignored his director ban and left £300,000 in unpaid tax across two firms has been banned from running companies for 12 years.
Neil Aldridge was initially banned for three-and-a-half years in 2019 after his company, Neil Aldridge Landscapes Ltd, went into liquidation owing at least £82,650 to HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC).
The 57-year-old, of Eastfield Lane, Goring Heath, breached his disqualification by acting as the director of a phoenix company, Aldridge Landscaping Limited, without permission from the court.
He then repeated the same misconduct, failing to pay taxes as they fell due, leaving HMRC owed a further £217,498 when that company was also wound up.
Kevin Read, Chief Investigator at the Insolvency Service, said:
Neil Aldridge knew he was banned from running companies, but carried on anyway, repeating the exact behaviour that got him disqualified in the first place.
This is a textbook example of abusive phoenixism where directors use companies to evade debts.
The Insolvency Service is determined to root out this kind of misconduct and protect creditors, taxpayers and honest businesses from those who abuse the system.
Richard Hopwood, Head of Insolvency at HMRC, said:
We are determined to allow honest businesses to thrive which is why it’s crucial we work closely with the Insolvency Service and other partners to take action against anyone involved in abusive phoenixism that undermines the tax system.
The majority pay the tax that is due, but we will pursue those who refuse to play by the rules.
Aldridge was appointed sole director of Aldridge Landscaping Limited when it was incorporated in June 2017.
However, the company began failing to pay its VAT and PAYE liabilities as they were due that year.
Aldridge should have stopped acting as a director of Aldridge Landscaping Limited when his three-and-a-half-year ban came into effect following the liquidation of Neil Aldridge Landscapes Ltd.
Instead, he ignored the restrictions and continued running the company until July 2022, repeating the same misconduct that led to his original disqualification.
Throughout this period, the company made just five payments totalling £20,692 towards its VAT bill, despite owing £109,410 at liquidation.
The company owed a further £108,088 in PAYE, having only paid £24,972.
By the time HMRC petitioned for Aldridge Landscaping Limited to be wound-up in June 2024, the company owed £217,498 in unpaid VAT and PAYE.
The Secretary of State for Business and Trade accepted a disqualification undertaking from Aldridge, and his ban started on Thursday 5 February.
It prevents him from being involved in the promotion, formation or management of a company, without the permission of the court.
Further information
- Neil Aldridge is of Eastfield Lane, Goring Heath, Oxfordshire. His date of birth is 29 March 1968
- Aldridge Landscaping Limited (company number 10817237)
- Neil Aldridge Landscapes Ltd (company number 08185511)
- Individuals subject to a disqualification order or undertaking are bound by a range of restrictions
- Read more about the role of the Insolvency Service in investigating abusive phoenixism
- Directors can find information about their obligations and responsibilities at the Insolvency Service’s Director Information Hub
- Further information about the work of the Insolvency Service, and how to complain about financial misconduct.