Northampton Tiler Caught Out for Tax Fraud
James Burton, a 45-year-old tiling business owner from Northampton, blew his chance to come clean on dodgy tax affairs. Despite being offered a “full, open and honest” route to settle his tax issues, he dodged HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) completely.
Ignored HMRC’s Warnings, Claimed Lost Letter
HMRC tried to get in touch, even sending a letter Burton signed for – but he claimed it got lost in a drawer. Instead of sorting things out through a civil Contractual Disclosure Facility (CDF) known as ‘COP9’, he stayed silent for over three months after the deadline.
Five Tax Fraud Charges at Northampton Crown Court
The silence cost him. In December 2019, the matter was passed to criminal investigators. On 13 June 2022, Burton admitted to five counts of tax fraud at Northampton Crown Court.
Nick Stone, HMRC Fraud Investigation Lead, said: “James Burton had the chance to do the right thing and put his tax affairs in order but has shown a disregard for the vast majority who pay what they owe. We want to help people get their taxes right and can offer people the chance to make full, open, and honest disclosures. If you engage in the process but lie you will also face prosecution. The consequences of not engaging are clear and they should be to others who are offered this opportunity.”
Stone also urged anyone with information about tax fraud to report it to HMRC online.
Inflated VAT Claims and Stolen Tax Under Investigation
HMRC investigators found Burton submitted VAT returns with inflated material costs from March 2014 to March 2018. He pocketed repayments he wasn’t entitled to.
Confiscation proceedings are now underway to recover the stolen tax cash.
