A woman found herself in the dock after carrying out a £50,000 VAT fraud.
Melissa Campbell, of Walcher Grove, Gateshead , ran an employment agency company called Corporate Sales Solutions Ltd and submitted false information to HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC).
The 38-year-old claimed the business spent £271,643 between October 2010 and January 2017.
But an HMRC investigation revealed the company was not trading during this period and Campbell submitted fraudulent documents to pocket around £51,287 in VAT repayments she was not entitled to.
She admitted VAT fraud at Newcastle Crown Court on May 7 this year and was sentenced for the offence on Monday.
She was given 18 months in prison, suspended for 18 months, and was ordered to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work.
Campbell was also disqualified from being a director of a company for six years.
HMRC says proceedings are now under way to recover the stolen VAT.
A spokesman for the organisation said: "This was a deliberate attempt to steal taxpayers' money which should be used to fund our public services.
"Anyone with information about this type of crime should report it to HMRC online or call our fraud hotline on 0800 788 887."
Information about VAT fraud can be reported to HMRC online via this link .
