A Winnipeg income-tax preparer and business owner has been handed a two-year conditional jail sentence and a $125,000 fine after pleading guilty in provincial court to tax-evasion charges.

Rodrigo Layco, 53, was fined $33,000 for the claiming of false child-care receipts that resulted in $49,000 worth of federal tax refunds, Canada Revenue Agency spokesman Kevin Lloyd said in a statement.

Layco was also fined $92,000 for a "charitable-donation receipt scheme" that created $138,000 worth of federal tax refunds, Lloyd added. A Canada Revenue Agency investigation found Layco prepared claims that included $3.1 million worth of donations to a single entity, CanAfrica International Foundation.

The fines represent two thirds of the refunds. Tax-return preparers can be fined for making false statements on their clients’ behalf.

Layco owns RDL Computer Business Data and Consulting Services Ltd., which offers income-tax preparation, computer training and immigration assistance.