Two Watford businesses have been named and shamed over a combined total of £102,490 in unpaid tax.

The Publishing Details of Deliberate Defaulters (PDDD) scheme provides details on people and companies given financial penalties for failing to comply with tax obligations or filing errors in tax returns on purpose.

The latest update was made on Wednesday (September 25) and included Kaziu Barber Ltd and Romb Research Ltd, which were both listed with Watford addresses.

Romb Research Ltd is a business operating in the building and supplying of computers. It has two former addresses listed, at 49 Hillview Road, High Wycombe, and 4 Bowerman Court, Bucknall Place, Watford.

The latest list of deliberate tax defaulters states that it was charged £30,905.67 based on £36,948.50 in tax/duty. It says there were two periods of default: November 10, 2021, to July 31 2022, and November 1, 2022, to January 31 2023.

According to Companies House, there is currently an active proposal to strike off the business.

The list also features Kaziu Barber Ltd, a barber shop in The Parade, stating that it was charged a £54,072.27 penalty over £65,189 in tax/duty for the period of default April 6, 2020, to April 5, 2022.

Owner Edward Kaziu said he is contesting the charge and looking to go to court over it. The barber added that he does not believe it relates directly to tax but instead to a Covid loan that was vital to keep the company open through lockdown, which he is paying back.

Mr Kaziu put the Watford Observer in touch with his accountant, who stated that as far as they are aware they do not see any tax liability. They are expecting to have a meeting with HMRC imminently to discuss the issue.

Information is published when a person or business has made at least one deliberate default on more than £25,000, according to HMRC. The list is updated every three months before the information is removed after a year.

The full list is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/publishing-details-of-deliberate-tax-defaulters-pddd/current-list-of-deliberate-tax-defaulters - and currently contains two other businesses named as part of previous updates within the past year.