The Department of Revenue Investigation on Monday filed a case against the owner of two firms—Unique Wide International Pvt Ltd and New Unique International—and a chartered accountant for dodging revenue of Rs378 million and using fake value added tax bills.

“Jeevan Basnet, is the owner of these firms that dodged the revenue and Bhuwan Pandey is the chartered accountant, who supplied fake bills to these firms,” said Dirgha Raj Mainali, director general at the department.

The case has been filed at Patan High Court.

According to a press statement of the department, these firms evaded taxes by procuring the fake VAT bills instead of goods and services. These firms dodged VAT worth Rs124.22 million, income tax worth Rs228 million and capital gains tax worth Rs25.74 million.

The department has sought confiscation of Rs378 million from them and a fine equivalent to that amount as per the Revenue Leakage ( Investigation and Control) Act.

According to Mainali, the department has so far filed cases against people in fake VAT bill scandals for irregularities worth around Rs8 billion.

“We are investigating fake VAT bills worth around Rs14 billion,” he said.