Save content
Have you found this content useful? Use the button above to save it to your profile.
iStock00055110770_Small

Payroll provider pocketed employee taxes

by
10th Aug 2015
Save content
Have you found this content useful? Use the button above to save it to your profile.

The director of three payroll and book-keeping companies who pocketed his employees’ tax and National Insurance Contributions (NICs) and failed to pay VAT bills has been jailed for two years.

Andrew Bettis of Maldon in Essex used PAYE to deduct income tax and NICs from his employees’ wages, but siphoned over £250,000 to himself. Bettis had deducted PAYE and NICs from his employees between 2007 and 2014, but didn’t pay a penny to HMRC.

HMRC’s investigation discovered his VAT returns were also wrong and that he hadn’t paid employer NICs, instead using the money to maintain his businesses.

Bettis’s three companies were based in Chelmsford in Essex. When HMRC officers visited the three premises to check Bettis’s records, they discovered a number of VAT and PAYE returns that had not been completed or contained wrong information.

Bettis was arrested and later charged in May with eight counts of fraud and acting dishonestly by not sending HMRC the correct VAT and PAYE returns. He pleaded guilty to all the offences.

He was sentenced to two years in prison and disqualified from being a company director for eight years.

“Andrew Bettis worked in the payroll industry and knew full well he was acting fraudulently. However, he shamelessly used his employees Tax and National Insurance to fund his businesses,” said Paul Barton, HMRC’s Assistant Director, Criminal Investigation.

Confiscation will be sought to recover the proceeds of his crimes.

Tags:

Replies (0)

Please login or register to join the discussion.

There are currently no replies, be the first to post a reply.