Tiana Lee Dawes admits to fake business tax scheme

An unemployed Corio fraudster, who set up a fake business to rip off the tax office, could be facing a jail term.

Tiana Dawes.

A Corio woman set up a fake cleaning business in an elaborate scam that ripped off more than $100,000 from the tax office.

Tiana Lee Dawes, 29, pleaded guilty in the County Court on Thursday to obtaining financial property by deception and handling stolen goods.

Dawes registered the business, GSC Specialised Cleaning Services, in 2018 and on four occasions in early 2022 scammed a total of $111,624 from the ATO.

Crown prosecutor Danielle Guesdon said Dawes lodged business activity statements reporting total sales, GST and GST credit to receive refunds from the tax office.

During the month of March, Dawes made $30,000 of purchases, including $3000 worth of items from Officeworks, $2800 from R Hotel Geelong, and $2000 from JB HI-FI Werribee.

The court heard police were unable to obtain Dawes’ transaction history prior to March.

“This transaction history shows a very large number of bank transfers to individuals known to police in the Geelong area,” Ms Guesdon said.

The ATO sent a letter to Dawes on April 21, stating that it had concluded that she was not running an enterprise for tax purposes.

Police also searched her address in Corio on December 19 last year and found numerous stolen documents, which included bank statements, drivers licences, bank cards and other personal cards.

Dawes’ defence team told the court they had been unable to make contact with their client since July, and asked the matter to be adjourned for a further date so they could prepare submissions.

Judge Andrew Tinney adjourned the matter to December 14 and released Dawes on bail.

“Its one of those cases where she is looking down the barrel for imprisonment,” Judge Tinney said.

Originally published as Tiana Lee Dawes admits to fake business tax scheme