A Victoria “educator” for the Paradigm Education Group has been handed a 14-month conditional sentence for income tax evasion and counselling others to commit fraud.
According to the Canada Revenue Agency, an investigation determined that Richard Cory Stanchfield worked as an “educator” for the Paradigm Education Group and failed to report $224,048 in taxable income from 2003 to 2008, evading $31,012.
During this time, Stanchfield also taught students to follow the Paradigm scheme, counselling them on how to restructure their affairs to avoid paying income tax. In exchange for his teachings, he was compensated with a percentage of each student’s gross income.
“The Canada Revenue Agency warns all Canadians to beware of individuals that try to convince you that Canadians do not have to pay tax on the income they earn,” states information from records of last week’s court proceedings in Vancouver.
“Those individuals, also known as tax protestors, not only fail to report their own earnings, but they also conspire, counsel and promote these tax schemes. Canadian courts have repeatedly and consistently rejected all arguments made in these tax protestor schemes.”
In addition to his conditional sentence, which includes nine months house arrest and 80 hours of community service, Stanchfield was fined $31,012, representing 100 per cent of the federal income tax evaded.