Tax official guilty of £6k benefit fraud

A TAX man has admitted fiddling his allowances to cheat taxpayers out of more than £6000.

Daniel Bell was working for Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) in Livingston, West Lothian, when he committed the frauds.

He declared that his earnings were lower than his true income to get Working Tax Credit to which he wasn’t entitled. He also submitted false travel claims to boost his pay even more, a court heard.

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Bell, 47, of Broxburn, West Lothian, pleaded guilty by letter to the two offences at Livingston Sheriff Court yesterday.

He illegally claimed £3413.98 in Working Tax Credit between September 8, 2007, and February 8, 2010. He also admitted making false travel claims to defraud his employers of a further £2907.80 between March 28 and July 6, 2009.

Sheriff Douglas Kinloch continued the case for Bell to appear in person before sentence.