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HMRC_fraud_investigation

Accountant jailed over tax gamble

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21st Aug 2015
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A West Midlands accountant has been jailed after a HMRC investigation discovered she had been submitting false self-assessment claims worth £260,000 to fund her gambling addiction.

Between March 2008 and January 2014, Gail Henshall submitted false claims on behalf of almost 200 clients. Henshall’s friend, Mario Troisi, subsequently laundered the money in to an account to fund Henshall’s up to £9,000 a day gambling addiction.

Richard Wentel, HMRC's assistant director of fraud Investigation Service, said: “Henshall’s clients were paying for a service to help keep their own tax affairs in order but she was abusing her position to steal hundreds of thousands of pounds, using their details as a smokescreen. She was despicably using money that should be funding vital public services to feed her gambling habit.

Henshall submitted legitimate repayment claims on behalf of her clients - passing the money on to them. But she would then amend returns and resubmit, without their knowledge, to increase the repayment amounts - but keeping the extra cash that was paid by HMRC. In an attempt to cover her tracks she also altered clients’ personal details such as their address.

Henshall pleaded guilty to two accounts of fraud. Troisi pleaded not guilty to money laudering, but was found guilty. They both were sentenced to 32 months in prison. 

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By Manchester_man
21st Aug 2015 18:10

If you continously submit returns which show a repayment to be due, but then continously amend the returns to show a higher repayment, it's obvious that HMRC will quickly cotton on to their being a pattern

 

Spoils it for the genuine accountants.  I've recently taken on two new clients and discovered that their 2014 tax returns were underclaiming various things (one client had done the return himself and hadn't claimed any CA's and another had grossed his dividends up twice).  I was already pondering whether HMRC would wonder why I have submitted 2 amended returns for new clients, thus generating repayments, but these two cases are totally fair and just.  I hope the Revenue don't tar every agent with the same brush!

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Time for change
By Time for change
24th Aug 2015 15:09

Surely, if you use.......

the "white space" and provide an efficient summary/explanation, that goes a good way to avoiding any follow up by HMRC?

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By jeremy28
25th Aug 2015 10:32

Roll on digital tax accounts...

... whereby clients would be able to cotton on to this immediately.

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