TWO Oxfordshire companies have been named on the government's list of deliberate tax defaulters with one charged with more than half a million pounds in penalties.

Watch wholesaler Dubhe WTC Ltd, formerly of The Old Chapel on Union Way in Witney, has been fined £563,996.13 by HMRC.

The company, also registered to Canary Wharf and Iffley Road in Oxford, defaulted on its payments between April 1, 2013 and December 31, 2016. It owed £1,239,552 in outstanding tax and has been charged an extra half a million in penalties.

Meanwhile, Fast Dine Ltd, which runs Chinnor Indian Cuisine on Lower Road in Chinnor, has been fined £28,178.85.

The restaurant's owners defaulted on its account between April 1, 2015 and December 31, 2018. They owed £46,749.34 in unpaid tax. The restaurant closed for refurbishment in August and has not announced a date for its reopening, according to its Facebook page.

Both companies have been named publicly by HMRC for failing to comply with tax obligations. The authority publishes information about people and business given financial penalties for deliberately filing errors in their returns or not complying with regulations.

The list is updated every three months and the information is wiped after a year. The two companies were added on June 17.

An HMRC spokesperson said: “We are committed to making sure people pay the tax they owe. For the minority who refuse to pay, HMRC has a range of tools available and we are able to publish the names of those penalised under civil procedures for deliberately defaulting on certain tax obligations. This is about influencing behaviour by encouraging defaulters to engage with HMRC.”