Skip to content

News archive

Stephen Hirst and Michael Hirst

Brothers sentenced for offshore tax scam

Two brothers, Stephen and Michael Hirst, have been sentenced for a 3.2 million offshore tax scam. The brothers used offshore companies to hide money from the sale of land in Wakefield, to evade tax. They were given the chance to pay what was owed through a Contractual Disclosure Facility but failed to do so.

Cross-country enquiries into suspected electronic till fraud

Cross-country enquiries into suspected electronic till fraud

Takeaways across England have been subject to unannounced inspections as part of an Electronic Sales Suppression (ESS) probe. The action by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) officers took place at a total of 17 different outlets in London, Ipswich, Manchester and Newcastle over the last month. It follows several separate till fraud enquiries, which include the arrest of a 47-year-old man.

Businesses targeted across Britain as part of till fraud probe

Businesses targeted across Britain as part of till fraud probe

More than 20 takeaways and restaurants in Edinburgh, London, St Helens and Stoke have been subject to unannounced visits as part of a crackdown on electronic till fraud. The action by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) officers took place over the last four weeks, with 24 hot food takeaways and restaurants targeted.

Drury & the two seized Rolex watches with the poolside at Drury's main Spanish villa

VAT fraudster to cough up £1.2m or face longer in jail

A jailed fraudster who bought three Spanish villas after stealing from the taxpayer must pay £1.2 million back or face another seven years in jail. Graham Drury, 71, formerly of Strathalyn, Rossett, Wrexham, was jailed for five-and-a-half years in 2021 after submitting fraudulent VAT returns to HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC).

Twyllwr TAW i dalu £1.2m neu bydd yn wynebu rhagor o amser yn y carchar

Twyllwr TAW i dalu £1.2m neu bydd yn wynebu rhagor o amser yn y carchar

Mae’n rhaid i dwyllwr sydd wedi’i garcharu, a brynodd dair fila yn Sbaen ar ôl dwyn mwy na £1.2 miliwn oddi ar drethdalwyr, dalu’r arian yn ôl neu bydd yn wynebu saith mlynedd arall yn y carchar.
Cafodd Graham Drury, 71 oed, gynt o Strathalyn, Yr Orsedd, Wrecsam, ei garcharu am bum mlynedd a hanner yn 2021 ar ôl cyflwyno Ffurflenni TAW twyllodrus i Gyllid a Thollau EF (CThEF).
Mewn gwrandaw

(L-R) The ringleaders, Francis Devlin & Paul McStravick

Twenty-seven sentenced in Northern Ireland’s biggest ever tax fraud case

The ringleaders of a gang who triggered Northern Ireland’s biggest ever tax probe have been jailed thanks to secretly recorded conversations in a bugged accountant’s office. The decade-long investigation into the £5 million tax fraud ended yesterday with prison sentences issued to gang leaders 58-year-old Francis Devlin and 56-year-old Paul McStravick for a combined total of eight years.

HMRC gives offshore customers chance to come clean

HMRC gives offshore customers chance to come clean

UK residents who were named in the leaked Pandora Papers are being given the chance to correct their tax affairs.
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is writing to UK residents named in the files of 14 offshore financial service providers. These providers specialise in companies, trusts, and foundations in low, or no tax, jurisdictions.
The letters, which started going out this month, warn recip

L-R Arif Patel & Mohamed Jaffar Ali, plus images of a seized shipping container, boxes containing counterfeit items & close-up images of the goods

Counterfeit clothing boss convicted of fraud worth more than £150 million

The mastermind of a fake designer clothing scam has been convicted of one of the UK’s largest ever carousel tax frauds.
Sock manufacturer Arif Patel, 55, of Preston, and his criminal gang tried to steal £97 million through VAT repayment claims on false exports of textiles and mobile phones.
They also imported and sold counterfeit clothes that would have been worth at least £50 million, had

Illegal tobacco factory smashed

Illegal tobacco factory smashed

One of Scotland’s biggest ever illegal tobacco factories has been dismantled after a raid in West Lothian

UK tax gap falls to 6.4 per cent

UK tax gap falls to 6.4 per cent

The tax gap for 2013-14 was 6.4 per cent of tax due, continuing a long-term downward trend, reflecting that HM Revenue and Customs’ (HMRC) approach is delivering steady and sustained progress.

HMRC closes in on tax cheats

HMRC closes in on tax cheats

An advertising campaign warning tax cheats to declare all their income before it is too late was launched today by HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC).

HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) is the UK’s tax authority

HMRC is responsible for making sure that the money is available to fund the UK’s public services and for helping families and individuals with targeted financial support.

HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC)

100 Parliament St
SW1A 2BQ London