His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has published details of two Sutton businesses found to have deliberately underpaid tax, adding both to its official deliberate defaulters list. The publication highlights the sums involved and the penalties applied, and underscores HMRC’s ongoing campaign to clamp down on non-compliance on the high street.
Who has been named
The two local entries are:
- Tenten Kitchens & Bathrooms Ltd — a furniture manufacturing and wholesale company based at Flat 16, 96 Brighton Road, Sutton.
- Papa Jones MS Limited — a takeaway previously operating as a Papa Johns franchise from 26 The Market, Wrythe Lane, Carshalton (listed with a Sutton connection).
Amounts and penalties
HMRC's publication sets out the tax shortfalls and penalties for both firms. The officially disclosed figures are substantial and are intended as part of a transparency measure to deter deliberate non‑compliance.
| Business | Tax underpaid | Penalties | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tenten Kitchens & Bathrooms Ltd | £63,672.80 | £42,342.40 | £106,015.20 |
| Papa Jones MS Limited | £292,875.72 | £166,373.49 | £459,249.21 |
What HMRC says and what it means locally
The deliberate defaulters list is one of HMRC's statutory transparency measures and applies where an investigation finds deliberate underpayment above the threshold set for publication. HMRC says the measure is intended to protect honest traders and deter those who would undercut competitors by not meeting tax obligations.
"Too many high streets have businesses that are undercutting their honest neighbours by failing to pay the tax they owe. That is unfair to compliant businesses and to the communities they serve, and we are determined to tackle it."
For Sutton this intervention highlights two immediate points: first, the direct financial scale of the cases named; second, the reputational and commercial effects for nearby traders. Businesses that comply with tax rules can face unfair competition when others avoid obligations, and the naming of local firms aims to address that imbalance.
Practical consequences for the local high street
Locally, the publication may prompt a range of responses:
- Customers may reassess support for named businesses and local competitors.
- Other high street operators could face increased scrutiny from HMRC inspectors as part of wider planned interventions.
- Landlords, suppliers and franchisors may review commercial relationships with firms that appear on published lists.
HMRC has said it plans more than 30,000 interventions in 2026–27 to tackle tax fraud and criminal activity, including visits to high street premises. The authority also cites action against businesses involved in money laundering and other types of non‑compliance as part of the same effort.
Neither HMRC nor the published notices provide on‑the‑ground detail about how creditors, landlords or local regulators will pursue recovery or remediation in each case. For residents and local traders, the publication is a reminder that tax compliance forms part of the baseline expectation for businesses operating in Sutton.
