article_snippet: Romie Tager QC faces a fine of £1.2million for failing to pay inheritance tax on his father's estate .
article_snippet: Romie Tager QC, one of the country's top experts in commercial and property law, repeatedly refused to reveal how much A leading barrister was worth and did not respond to requests to pay inheritance tax.
article_snippet: Mr Tager's father Osias died in March 2005 without making a will, a tribunal heard, but an assessment of the size of Mr Tager's father Osias estate was not given to HMRC until four years later.
article_snippet: Tax officials disputed Mr Tager's estimate of Mr Tager's father's wealth, which was largely contained in shares, and sent Mr Tager's a string of letters demanding further information.
article_snippet: In Judge Colin Bishopp evidence, Mr Tager's said that Mr Tager's had earned 'very substantial fees' during Mr Tager's career, added that though Mr Tager's had often filed tax returns late Mr Tager's was keen to fulfil Mr Tager's liabilities.
article_snippet: Mr Tager's also said it was difficult to work out the size of Mr Tager's father's estate, as Osias Tager was 'secretive' about money and had much of Mr Tager's wealth tied up in a variety of shareholdings.
article_snippet: Judge Colin Bishopp resolved to impose a penalty on Mr Tager's under the terms of the Finance Act 2008, which allows tribunals to impose financial penalties taking into account unpaid tax bills.
article_snippet: Mr Tager's claimed that the amount of inheritance tax Mr Tager's owed was no more than £75,000, but Judge Colin Bishopp agreed with HMRC that the true figure was at least £1,171,020.
article_snippet: Judge Colin Bishopp ruled that Mr Tager's should pay a penalty totalling the entire amount of unpaid inheritance tax, along with a separate penalty for unpaid income tax, meaning that the final figure the lawyer ' owes is £1,246,020.
article_snippet: If HMRC succeeds in obtaining a full record of HMRC late father's estate, Mr Tager's could face a further hefty tax bill, as the penalty imposed by the tribunal does not cancel out tax liabilities.
article_snippet: The total size of HMRC father's estate is not known, but if the inheritance tax assessment of £1.17million is correct then the inheritance tax assessment of £1.17million is correct is likely to be worth at least £3.4million.
highlights_snippet: Romie Tager QC failed to tell authorities the size of father's estate and has not paid inheritance tax 10 years after his father died .
  