Waterlooville Builder Busted and Jailed for Cooking the Books
A Waterlooville builder who faked £750,000 in VAT repayments to feed a gambling habit has been locked up for 32 months.
Fake VAT Claims Fund Gambling Spree
Peter Howes, 58, claimed he was entitled to huge VAT repayments between 2011 and 2017 while posing as a builder. But HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) discovered he hadn’t done any actual work and had simply made up the numbers on his VAT returns.
£750k Fraud to Cover Living Expenses
Howes siphoned off £9,500 every month from the tax system under the guise of his company, ‘P D Howes Building and Development’. The money went straight into gambling and personal spending. HMRC froze nearly £20,000 while investigating.
HMRC Cracks Down on VAT Fraud
Richard Wilkinson, Assistant Director of HMRC’s Fraud Investigation Service, said: “Howes stopped working as a builder and used the tax system as his own bank account. It is simply not acceptable to steal from UK taxpayers and public services we all rely on.”
“HMRC will continue to pursue criminals attacking the tax system. If you know of suspected VAT fraud, report it online or call our Fraud Hotline on 0800 788 887.”
Jailed for Two Years and Eight Months
Howes admitted to VAT fraud at Portsmouth Crown Court on 25 June 2018. Just two days later, he was sentenced to 32 months in jail, serving time for ripping off the public purse.
