HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is continuing the crackdown on tax and benefit fraud that resulted in nearly 700 convictions last year.
The tax evasion campaign, launched by HMRC as part of the Government’s near £1 billion investment to tackle tax evasion, avoidance and fraud, aims to raise an additional £7 billion each year by 2014/15.
One of the most recent HMRC cases resulted in the conviction of a company director who made false VAT repayment claims of more than £500,000 over a six-year period, claiming that his company exported white goods and motor vehicles to Africa.
Genuine transactions would have resulted in a VAT refund, but investigations revealed that his company made only six small-scale exports in four years. He was jailed for four and a half years in January.
A more recent example involved a Kenilworth man who was sentenced this week to two and half years in prison after admitting cheating the public revenue, contrary to common law.
According to HMRC, John Powell earned almost £1 million in 20 years’ work as a self-employed consultant quantity surveyor. But he failed to declare his earnings or to pay any income tax or National Insurance. One of his cash purchases was a property in Antibes on the French Riviera.
According to Richard Meadows, Assistant Director, Criminal Investigation, HMRC, “We are investing more resources than ever in investigating those involved in this type of criminality.”
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This blog post is intended as a news item only - no connection between Lewis Nedas and the parties concerned is intended or implied.
