Jeffrey Bakewell, 69 and from Wickford in Essex, advised mainly crane drivers but also other construction workers to make fraudulent claims. Through him, they made claims for travel and subsistence payments that had already been covered by their employers.
An investigation by HM Revenue & Customs found that Bakewell had fraudulently claimed £1,507,965 between 2009 and 2015. He kept around £300,000 in commission while the rest went to his clients.
Bakewell failed to register as a tax agent with HMRC as legally required, did not complete due diligence checks on his clients and failed to keep the records required by the Money Laundering Regulations.
Bakewell admitted tax fraud and was jailed for five years at Chelmsford Crown Court on Monday 26th June 2017.
Paul Barton, assistant director in HMRC’s Fraud Investigation Service, said: “Bakewell had no financial qualifications and set himself up solely to advise people on fraud. He charged for advice on how to steal money from our vital public services but his appalling conduct has now put him behind bars.”
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