Phantom builder electronically tagged after £200,000 VAT fraud
Reading time: 1 minute
A Scottish company director who admitted falsifying business records to make fraudulent claims for almost £220,000 in VAT refunds has been electronically tagged for eight months and ordered to pay £100,000 in compensation, after an investigation by HMRC.
Garry Gibson, 60, from Edinburgh, claimed to be building residential properties in the Scottish Borders, but the houses were never built. At Edinburgh Sheriff Court he pleaded guilty to submitting fraudulent VAT claims between March 2009 and June 2010.
Gibson has been placed under a Restriction of Liberty Order which means that he will have to be at home between 9pm – 6am, from Monday to Friday, for eight months. He also had a £100,000 compensation order placed on him by the court.
Anne-Marie Gordon, assistant director, criminal investigation, HMRC, said: “This was an organised fraud, making huge profits for Gibson.
“He knew that by stealing VAT he was breaking the law. But he took the opportunity to make what he wrongly assumed would be easy money, at the expense of the UK taxpayer.
“He now has to pay the price for his criminal activities.”
Share this article:
Subscribe to our newsletter to not miss articles like this one:
SUBSCRIBE
