In a historic first for HMRC, an accountant who refused to co-operate with a tax fraud investigation has been fined £25,000 under the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act. He was warned that if he did not pay the fine within 28 days he would face 18 months in prison.

The accountant, Anil Shah, 66, from Middlesex, refused to assist officers who were investigating suspected tax evasion by …