Press release —
Teeth whitening offshore tax dodgers jailed
- Two men have been jailed for a muti-million-pound teeth whitening tax scam.
- Stolen money funded lavish lifestyles including plans to build houses with matching swimming pools shaped like teeth.
- Money was paid into accounts at Euro Pacific Bank which was shut down in 2022 after investigations by the Office of the Commissioner of Financial Institutions (OCIF) of Puerto Rico.
Two men from Merseyside who stole more than £8.5 million of tax by importing and selling dangerous teeth whitening products have been jailed for nearly nine years.
Ian Barnes, 53, and Alastair Ramage, 44, imported and sold products containing dangerously high levels of hydrogen peroxide through UK Teeth Whitening Ltd and IBAR Trading Ltd, which were based in the Seychelles and Hong Kong.
But the pair failed to hand over VAT to HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) and instead used stolen taxpayer cash to fund expensive properties and luxury long-haul holidays.
They even planned to build holiday homes next to each other in Florida with connecting tunnels and matching swimming pools - shaped like teeth.
The spending included splashing out £16,000 on a limited-edition baseball cap, more than £500 on an ice cream sundae that featured in the Home Alone movie and more than £100,000 with a single holiday company.
HMRC investigators also seized luxury items from properties linked to the men in 2023 and June 2026, including luxury watches, Champagne, diamond jewellery and a gold bar.
Messages recovered from the men’s phones caught them boasting, including one from Barnes that said: “In a few hours we’ll be in 1st class, F*** the peasants” and “Platinum luggage tags, that’s how UK teeth whitening roll.”
The Whatsapp messages also revealed they knew they were supplying dangerous products and they would face prison if they were caught by HMRC.
In another exchange between each other Barnes said: “They said they used it for 30 minutes and its taken the enamel off their teeth dentist said they need new teeth.”
Ramage also said “We’re on the first plane out of here if they (HMRC) come knocking. We’re talking millions and years in jail.”
Zoe Gascoyne, Director of HMRC’s Fraud Investigation Service, said:
“Barnes and Ramage knew they were stealing from taxpayers and selling dangerous products at the same time.
“Their messages show complete disregard for the hard-working majority who pay the taxes that fund our public services.
“Hiding stolen money in offshore accounts doesn’t put anyone beyond reach and my team will now work with partners at the Crown Prosecution Service to recover the money they stole."
HMRC investigators proved the pair laundered more than £8.5 million through 118 bank accounts, credit cards and crypto currency trading platforms.
More than £3.4 million of the stolen money was funnelled through accounts held at Euro Pacific Bank in Puerto Rico, which was shut down in 2022.
Barnes, from Lydiate, and Ramage, who left the UK to live in Portugal, pleaded guilty to VAT fraud in February 2026. They were jailed for a total of eight years and 10 months at Liverpool Crown Court on 30 October.
Anyone with information about any type of tax fraud or money laundering can report it to HMRC on GOV.UK.
Notes to Editors
- Broadcast interviews with a HMRC spokesperson are available on request.
- Ian Barnes DOB: 14/11/1972, of Southport Road, Lydiate, admitted to being knowingly concerned in the fraudulent evasion of tax and was sentenced to four years and four months at Liverpool Crown Court on 30 October 2026.
- Alastair Ramage DOB: 14/06/1982, who currently lives in Portugal and formerly of Southport, admitted to being knowingly concerned in the fraudulent evasion of tax, and was sentenced to four years and six months at Liverpool Crown Court on 30 October 2026.
- The Puerto Rico Office of the Commissioner of Financial Institutions (OCIF) suspended the operations of the Euro Pacific Bank in June 2022.
- HMRC, which is a founding member of the Joint Chiefs of Global Tax Enforcement (J5), announced in July 2022 that it was using its full range of civil and criminal powers to investigate the tax affairs of hundreds of UK customers linked to Euro Pacific Bank. This was followed in September with HMRC writing to around 600 people in the UK who used the bank to urge them to check their tax position and make any necessary corrections.
- To make a disclosure, use the Worldwide Disclosure Facility (WDF) here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/worldwide-disclosure-facility-make-a-disclosure. Anyone who has committed fraud and wants to tell us, can use the Contractual Disclosure Facility.
- Follow HMRC’s Press Office on X @HMRCpressoffice.
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Issued by HM Revenue & Customs Press Office
HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) is the UK’s tax authority.
HMRC is responsible for making sure that the money is available to fund the UK’s public services and for helping families and individuals with targeted financial support.
