Surrey plumber jailed for tax evasion

A plumber from Surrey has been jailed for 12 months for tax evasion after a lengthy investigation from HM Revenue and Customs.

49 year-old Melvyn Careswell, from Epsom, set up a company MPC Heating and Plumbing, where he traded as a self-employed plumber.

Careswell never registered his earning with HMRC, and investigators discovered that over a five-year period he had failed to pay around £50,000 of Income Tax.

Chris Martin, HMRC Assistant Director, Criminal Investigation, said: “Careswell stole from UK taxpayers by failing to pay tax due on his earnings and now he must face the consequences of his actions in jail.

“HMRC is clamping down on plumbers and those in other trades who attempt to commit tax evasion, and the sentence given to Careswell will act as a deterrent. I ask anyone with information about suspected tax fraud to call the Tax Evasion Hotline on 0800 788 887.”

The sentencing by HMRC follows analysis of data collected by the tax authority following a crackdown on plumbers, gas fitters and heating engineers who failed to take advantage of the opportunity offered during last year’s Plumbers Tax Safe Plan (PTSP), to put their tax affairs in order on the best possible terms

Those who came forward have already paid over £4 million in outstanding tax.

Mike Wells, HMRC Director of Risk and Intelligence Services, said: “We want people targeted by any HMRC campaign to come forward and use the opportunity to put the record straight and pay any tax due on the best possible terms. It really is better for people who owe tax to come to HMRC, before we come and find you.”

Careswell was arrested on 5 August 2011. He pleaded guilty to the offence and was sentenced to 12 months’ imprisonment at Kingston Crown Court on Friday, 20th July.

HMRC have confirmed that confiscation proceedings are underway.