Two Merseyside men face jail over £8.5m teeth whitening tax fraud

Two Merseyside businessmen who funded lavish lifestyles through an £8.5 million tax fraud involving the import and sale of potentially dangerous teeth whitening products have been warned their prison sentences are “inevitable.”

Alastair Ramage, 44, of York Close, Formby, and Ian Barnes, 53, of Southport Road, Lydiate, admitted three counts of being knowingly concerned in the fraudulent evasion of VAT and one of evading income tax at Liverpool Crown Court.

The court heard the pair evaded £8,499,384.47 in tax between 2016 and 2023 through their business UK Teeth Whitening Ltd, later IBAR Trading UK. This included £5.3 million in unpaid VAT, while Ramage evaded £1.2 million in income tax and Barnes £1.9 million.

Many products breached UK regulations on permitted hydrogen peroxide levels, and money was routed through an account with Puerto Rico’s now-closed Euro Pacific Bank.

Prosecutor Nicola Daley described how the men “lived the high life,” spending £51,000 with Emirates and £155,000 with Virgin Atlantic in 2018/19 alone. Ramage boasted he was a “money-making machine,” while messages included “46K a month, long may it continue” and “F*** the peasants.”

Ramage’s Facebook flaunted holidays to Universal Studios and a private island in the Maldives, a selfie with Tyson Fury, and a Rolls-Royce Ghost chauffeur's ride to Wembley for the FA Cup Final.

The pair even drew up plans for swimming pools shaped like teeth.

Defending, David McLachlan KC said Ramage was “embarrassed and ashamed.” Judge Katherine Pierpoint remanded both men into custody, adjourning sentencing until next Friday due to lack of court time.