HM Revenue & Customs revealed on 29 February that it had "exposed" a complex tax avoidance scheme moving income offshore using a Singapore-based company.
The UK tax authority warned in the statement that anyone who had joined the arrangement should "get out of it as soon as possible".
The scheme – linked to businessman Darren Patrick-Green – involved contractors joining Singapore registered Procorre LLP to avoid paying Income Tax and National Insurance.
These workers and their Personal Service Companies (PSCs) entered into contracts to provide services to their clients as usual.
The PSCs invoice these clients and transfer the money received to Procorre LLP.
Procorre LLP then deducted a fee before returning the rest of the income to the individuals or their PSCs. This money comprises various forms of payments including bank transfers from multiple sources and pre-paid cards.
HMRC further said these payments should be subject to Income Tax and National Insurance Contributions and anyone involved in this scheme should contact HMRC as soon as possible and leave the arrangement.
Darren Patrick-Green (also known as Darren Green) is the Ultimate Beneficial Owner (UBO) of Corre Holdings SA (CHSA), a Swiss-based firm which is the majority owner of Procorre LLP. CHSA is also suspected by HMRC of involvement in further arrangements, potentially including the acquisition of users’ PSCs.
Also named on GOV.UK today for being in control of Procorre LLP is Jason Bougourd and Alizeh Nanji.
Jonathan Smith, HMRC’s Director of Counter Avoidance, said: “Tax avoidance schemes are cynically marketed as clever ways to pay less tax. The truth is they rarely work in the way the promoters claim and it is the users that can end up with unexpected tax bills.
“We would urge anyone who thinks they have entered these schemes to contact us as soon as possible to get help.”
