Gainsborough plasterer sentenced for £18,000 tax fraud

A Gainsborough plasterer who fraudulently claimed more than £18,000 in tax refunds has been given a suspended prison sentence.
By The Newsroom
Published 5th Jan 2018, 10:37 GMT
Updated 5th Jan 2018, 10:40 GMT
Stuart Foster received a suspended 15-month prison sentence after pleading guilty to tax fraud.Stuart Foster received a suspended 15-month prison sentence after pleading guilty to tax fraud.
Stuart Foster received a suspended 15-month prison sentence after pleading guilty to tax fraud.

Self-employed Stuart Evelyn Foster, 42, of Lea Road, who traded as Plastering Solutions, submitted false tax returns to obtain repayments he was not entitled to between 2012 and 2015.

An investigation by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) found Foster had claimed expenses already paid for by his employer and lied about how much tax he had paid.

He received £8,225 in fraudulent tax refunds, while a further amount of £9,914 was withheld by HMRC.

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Foster pleaded guilty to a charge of fraud by false representation at Grimsby Crown Court in November, and earlier this week he was sentenced to a 15-month prison sentence, suspended for two years. He was also ordered to pay £1,500 in fines.

A spokesperson for HMRC said: "This was a deliberate attempt to steal from honest and hardworking taxpayers.

"Foster was wrong to think he could get away with using the tax system as his own personal bank account.

“We encourage anyone with information regarding tax fraud to contact our fraud hotline on 0800 788 887.”