A builder based in the West Midlands area of England has received a sixteen month jail sentence after being found guilty of a
£96,000 VAT fraud, after he had set up a number of fake companies.

The ‘gentleman’ in question was self-employed and in 2007 alone falsely claimed more than £52,000 in VAT repayments. He had under-declared his earnings and over-declared his purchases in the returns he submitted to HM Customs and Excise. The fraud was compounded when the returns were queried and he supplied fake paperwork to support his original claims. He then set up five bogus companies in 2011 to claim a further £44,000 in VAT repayments.

Some of his real customers’ were interviewed as part of the investigation and they found the work he had actually undertaken was of extremely poor workmanship and many jobs were left unfinished. One couple had paid £90,000 to him for house renovations, only for him to down tools with just a third of the work completed and their house left uninhabitable.

The vast majority of us pay what is due, when it is due and it’s reassuring to know that HMRC make it a priority to investigate those, like Mr Williams, who they suspect of operating outside the law in such a way. Another bad trader is put behind bars allowing real builders to get on with the job, properly equipped with safety boots, trousers with knee pads and all the necessary workwear they need to stay safe and complete work the right way, not Mr Williams’ way.