London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Sep 13, 2025

Cardiff flat owner gets tax bills for 11,000 Chinese firms

Cardiff flat owner gets tax bills for 11,000 Chinese firms

When Dylan Davies went to check his post last November, 580 brown envelopes fell to the floor.

Over next six months he got tax bills for 11,000 Chinese companies after they fraudulently used his Cardiff address to register for VAT.

"It's been horrendous," said Mr Davies, who got letters from HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) demanding tax amounting to £500,000.

HMRC admitted the situation did not raise alarm bells at the tax office.

"You'd think there'd be a systems with the technology today that would have picked it up immediately," Mr Davies said.

He told the police and HMRC but the brown letters just kept coming.

When letters from debt collection agencies started to arrive, he got even more worried that bailiffs may come "charging the door down" and feared that the amount of money involved meant his property could be taken.

Dylan Davies "couldn't believe" the number of brown envelopes coming each week


He said HRMC only started to take notice when he took his concerns to BBC Wales consumer programme X-Ray.

The head of HMRC admitted the problem in a letter to the Commons public accounts committee.

Permanent secretary Jim Harra said: "2,356 of the businesses have a tax debt and we have acted to prevent any further contact with this address in relation to these debts."

Mr Harra said investigations had "so far have found no evidence of fraud or fraudulent intent" and 70% of the businesses registered to Mr Davies's address operated in online marketplaces.

The law changed in Jan 2021, meaning online marketplaces such as Amazon or eBay must collect VAT from overseas traders and pay it to HMRC.

But if a company has a UK address for VAT, which it does not have to provide proof of, it is responsible for the payment.

Financial crime consultant Graham Barrow said he suspected fraudulent activity from the overseas companies.

"It looks to all intents and purposes like VAT fraud," he said.

"There's no other reason why you'd register for VAT at a complete stranger's address, particularly for 11,000 companies to do that."

He believes the firms are collecting VAT from their buyers, but not paying it to HMRC.

The bills coming to Mr Davies's flat were probably tax fraud, says financial crime consultant Graham Barrow


Mr Barrow said it "beggared belief" that HMRC did not notice the number of companies being registered for VAT at Mr Davies's flat.

He said the consequences for an individual could be severe, through no fault of their own.

"You could find that there are large numbers of county court judgements being registered to your address," he said.

Mr Davies said HMRC needed to "tighten up completely", claiming it was easier to "register a company for VAT than it is to go and get a bus pass".

HMRC said: "We are reviewing our operational processes for managing high volume address changes, including understanding any vulnerabilities in our systems associated with this behaviour."

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
French Debt Downgrade Piles Pressure on Macron’s New Prime Minister
US and UK Near Tech, Nuclear and Whisky Deals Ahead of Trump Trip
One in Three Europeans Now Uses TikTok, According to the Chinese Tech Giant
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
NATO Deploys ‘Eastern Sentry’ After Russian Drones Violate Polish Airspace
Anesthesiologist Left Operation Mid-Surgery to Have Sex with Nurse
Tens of Thousands of Young Chinese Get Up Every Morning and Go to Work Where They Do Nothing
The New Life of Novak Djokovic
The German Owner of Politico Mathias Döpfner Eyes Further U.S. Media Expansion After Axel Springer Restructuring
Suspect Arrested: Utah Man in Custody for Charlie Kirk’s Fatal Shooting
In a politically motivated trial: Bolsonaro Sentenced to 27 Years for Plotting Coup After 2022 Defeat
German police raid AfD lawmaker’s offices in inquiry over Chinese payments
Turkish authorities seize leading broadcaster amid fraud and tax investigation
Volkswagen launches aggressive strategy to fend off Chinese challenge in Europe’s EV market
ChatGPT CEO signals policy to alert authorities over suicidal youth after teen’s death
The British legal mafia hit back: Banksy mural of judge beating protester is scrubbed from London court
Surpassing Musk: Larry Ellison becomes the richest man in the world
Embarrassment for Starmer: He fired the ambassador photographed on Epstein’s 'pedophile island'
Manhunt after 'skilled sniper' shot Charlie Kirk. Footage: Suspect running on rooftop during panic
Effective Protest Results: Nepal’s Prime Minister Resigns as Youth-Led Unrest Shakes the Nation
Qatari prime minister says Netanyahu ‘killed any hope’ for Israeli hostages
King Charles and Prince Harry Share First In-Person Moment in 19 Months
Starmer Establishes Economic ‘Budget Board’ to Centralise Policy and Rebuild Business Trust
France Erupts in Mass ‘Block Everything’ Protests on New PM’s First Day
Poland Shoots Down Russian Drones in Airspace Violation During Ukraine Attack
Brazilian police say ex-President Bolsonaro had planned to flee to Argentina seeking asylum
Trinidad Leader Applauds U.S. Naval Strike and Advocates Forceful Action Against Traffickers
Kim Jong Un Oversees Final Test of New High-Thrust Solid-Fuel Rocket Engine
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Macron Appoints Sébastien Lecornu as Prime Minister Amid Budget Crisis and Political Turmoil
Supreme Court temporarily allows Trump to pause billions in foreign aid
Charlie Sheen says his father, Martin Sheen, turned him in to the police: 'The greatest betrayal possible'
Vatican hosts first Catholic LGBTQ pilgrimage
Apple Unveils iPhone 17 Series, iPhone Air, Apple Watch 11 and More at 'Awe Dropping' Event
Pig Heads Left Outside Multiple Paris Mosques in Outrage-Inducing Acts
Nvidia’s ‘Wow’ Factor Is Fading. The AI chip giant used to beat Wall Street expectations for earnings by a substantial margin. That trajectory is coming down to earth.
France joins Eurozone’s ‘periphery’ as turmoil deepens, say investors
On the Anniversary of Queen Elizabeth’s Death: Prince Harry Returns to Britain
France Faces New Political Crisis, again, as Prime Minister Bayrou Pushed Out
Murdoch Family Finalises $3.3 Billion Succession Pact, Ensuring Eldest Son’s Leadership
Big Oil Slashes Jobs and Investments Amid Prolonged Low Crude Prices
Court Staff Cover Up Banksy Image of Judge Beating a Protester
Social Media Access Curtailed in Turkey After CHP Calls for Rallies Following Police Blockade of Istanbul Headquarters
Nayib Bukele Points Out Belgian Hypocrisy as Brussels Considers Sending Army into the Streets
Elon Musk Poised to Become First Trillionaire Under Ambitious Tesla Pay Plan
France, at an Impasse, Heads Toward Another Government Collapse
Burning the Minister’s House Helped Protesters to Win Justice: Prabowo Fires Finance Minister in Wake of Indonesia Protests
Brazil Braces for Fallout from Bolsonaro Trial by corrupted judge
The Country That Got Too Rich? Public Spending Dominates Norway Election
Nearly 40 Years Later: Nike Changes the Legendary Slogan Just Do It
×