I found this in the Daily Record this morning:



SCOTLAND’S top celebrity kiltmaker is in danger of going out of business – just three years after setting up his firm.

Howie Nicholsby has designed kilts for a string of stars including Robbie Williams, Vin Diesel, KT Tunstall and Alan Cumming.

But the 33-year-old, who owns the 21st Century Kilts store in Edinburgh, is being chased by the taxman over unpaid debts.

HM Revenue and Customs have applied to Edinburgh Sheriff Court to have a liquidator appointed to have his firm, Howie Nicholsby Ltd, shut down.

Nicholsby is the sole director of the company and their latest accounts, filed in September last year, show they owed creditors £71,114 and had assets of £85,566.

Three years ago, he went out on his own after splitting from his family business.

Yesterday, Nicholsby admitted he had allowed his tax bill to get too high.

He said: “It’s my own fault, I’ve let it mount up too much. However, as far as I’m concerned, there is nothing to worry about and it’ll be sorted out.

“I’ve been dealing with the taxman and I’m surprised at this. I’m going to phone them to try to get this sorted.”

Geoffrey (Tailor) Kiltmakers, run by Geoffrey and Lorna Nicholsby, were set up in 1971 and went on to become one of Scotland’s leading kiltmaking firms.

However, Howie, their son, had growing business differences with his father and opened a shop in Edinburgh’s Thistle Street because he wanted to get away from the “tartan tat” sold on the Royal Mile.

He said trying to sell his trendy kilts alongside traditional ones sold by his dad was “a bit like selling Porsches next to a horse and cart”.

Last night, a spokesman for HMRC said: “We can’t discuss any individual’s tax affairs due to confidentiality.

“This action is only taken as a last resort after the person involved has had plenty of time to come to a settlement in relation to outstanding debts.”

Original article:
http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/sc...6908-23779736/