Getting his teeth done in Turkey was 'worst mistake' - now he owes £100k
A Welsh scaffolder who previously complained about his Turkey teeth has now been exposed as a tax cheat.
Matthew Bowen, from Rhondda Cynon Taf, dodged £103,408 in tax, according to HMRC's latest list of deliberate defaulters.
The self-employed man was repotedly slapped with a hefty fine of £66,956 by HMRC for evading tax payments from April 2018 to April 2024.
Last year, we covered his story about his botched dental procedure in Turkey, which he branded "the worst mistake" of his life after shelling out £14,000 on the operation, travel, and accommodation, only to claim his new teeth began to "fall apart" within weeks.
The 36-year-old, residing in Bryntirion, Ynysboeth, Abercynon, told Wales Online over the phone this week that it was the first he'd heard of his tax evasion.
However, the publication reports that this claim doesn't add up with HMRC's procedures, which involve giving each defaulter the opportunity to dispute the publication of their details before they're listed.
He promised to return their call within half an hour but failed to do so. Upon contacting him the following day, he said: "I dunno what to say to be honest. I've been trying to contact HMRC but I'm on hold. If I thought I done wrong I wouldn't be trying to ring them."
In the title's previous conversation with Mr Bowen regarding his dental disaster, he shared that he had worked tirelessly, 12 hours a day, seven days a week, for two years prior to his January 2023 operation in pursuit of a "perfect smile".
Did his aspirations lead him to twist the truth with his tax returns? "No," he said, denying tax evasion or knowing about HMRC's concerns.
Last year, Mr Bowen revealed his dental troubles started aged 19, when he sustained a broken jaw from an assault in Tesco. "All my teeth started crumbling after that," he explained.
The crowns he wanted were not covered on the NHS and getting them fitted privately in the UK would have cost him £27,000, he said. When a friend from Turkey recommended a clinic in his home country, Mr Bowen flew out to Marmaris for a £7,800 operation.
Mr Bowen had 18 teeth taken out and 12 metal implants inserted into his jawbone, topped off with porcelain crowns. However, he claimed that the crowns began to disintegrate within weeks, prompting him to return to the clinic in August 2023 for further unsatisfactory treatment.
"I've got a big gap from my gums to my teeth," he claimed last year. "You can see all my saliva coming through the tops of my teeth."
The dentist responsible, Dr Aras Selcuk, defended his work at the time, asserting: "This is the only patient with problems so far. Everyone is happy, only this guy is not... I told him the saliva between the gum and the teeth is normal."
In our initial conversation, Mr Bowen mentioned he was working long hours to save up for another operation to achieve the smile he desired. Asked recently for an update on his dental situation, he simply stated: "They're the same."
Individuals or businesses land on HMRC's list if they've deliberately failed to pay over £25,000 in tax. HMRC asserts that the purpose of this list is to "influence behaviour by encouraging defaulters to engage with HMRC".
After a year, the names of these defaulters are wiped from the record.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Record
an hour ago
- Daily Record
Fruit-loving Brits put on alert over blueberries and strawberries at supermarkets
People who go to Tesco, Sainsbury's, and Marks and Spencer for their food should take note. Brits who love incorporating tasty fruits into their meals have been put on alert this summer. People who go to Tesco, Sainsbury's, and Marks and Spencer for their food should take note of the latest positive update. Blueberries are thriving due to the warmest spring on record, with the harvest increasing by nearly a quarter so far this year, reports suggest. Approximately 5,133 tonnes are anticipated by the end of August, an increase from almost 4,187 tonnes at the same time last year. Sales of the round fruit have also risen by nine per cent year-on-year, according to fruit specialists and grocery analysts across the country. Those in the industry have said that the current crop is well ahead of schedule. This means Brits can enjoy "excellent" size and flavour from their favourite fruits, reports Birmingham Live. Daniel Martin, the group commercial director at S&A Produce, comments: "This blueberry season has seen a really positive early start, about two weeks ahead of schedule, thanks to strong light levels and an absence of rain. "As a result, we're seeing excellent fruit size and nice, even ripening across the crop. In summary, we are optimistic about the season and expect to see excellent flavour and shelf life from this year's crop." Jim Floor, the managing director of Hall Hunter, one of the UK's leading blueberry growers, stated: "When it comes to robotic fruit picking, we're seeing steady and encouraging progress from robotics and automation companies. "However, the technology isn't quite ready for widespread commercial adoption just yet." Nick Marston, the chair of the industry body British Berry Growers, said that all UK berry crops, including strawberries, raspberries and blackberries, were up by about 25 per cent. "The weather has been very beneficial for all berry crops," he said. This follows a similar announcement two months ago, indicating that strawberries at Tesco, Sainsbury's, and M&S were on track for an exceptional yield. Bartosz Pinkosz of the Summer Berry Company, which supplies major retailers, previously alerted UK households that his West Sussex farm was producing berries so large you "cannot fit in your mouth". Speaking to The Guardian two months ago, Mr Pinkosz stated: "I have genuinely never seen a harvest produce such large berries consistently. "Some are supersized – growing to the size of plums or even kiwi fruits." He added that recent weather had been "phenomenal" for the berries. For those who fancy choosing their own berries rather than heading to their nearest supermarket, some of the best spots in Scotland for strawberry picking have been named. Cairnie Fruit Farm in Cupar, Fife, topped the list thanks to its 45 acres of fruit fields that offers visitors the chance to pick a range of summer favourites, including strawberries, raspberries, cherries and blackcurrants. Making up the top three were Craigies Farming Deli and Cafe in South Queensferry and Charleton Farm in Montrose, Angus. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'.
North Wales Live
9 hours ago
- North Wales Live
The DWP lists 87 medical conditions which would qualify claimants for £749 benefit
Claimants are being urged to check their eligibility for a regular support payment of up to £110 a week. Personal Independence Payment (PIP) is intended to help people living with long-term physical or mental health conditions, disabilities, or learning difficulties. And it is especially beneficial for those of State Pension age who wish to maintain their independence at home. Run by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), PIP is a non-means-tested, tax-free benefit that will pay either £73.90 or £110.40 per week during the 2025/26 financial year, depending on the level of support required. Join the North Wales Live Whatsapp community now These rates were increased by 1.7 per cent in line with inflation on April 7 this year, aiming to help households manage rising living costs. Payments are typically made every four weeks, meaning eligible claimants will receive either £295.60 or £441.60 per pay period, reports WalesOnline. Over the course of a year, this could amount to a maximum of £5,740.80. Earlier this year, the DWP announced proposed changes to PIP expected to come into effect from November 2026, impacting both new and existing claimants. Under the new rules, thousands of people are anticipated to lose their entitlement to PIP - a decision that has attracted widespread criticism. But the decision was later mostly reversed and no changes will take place next year, with a review to take place instead. This is everything you need to know about PIP, including eligibility criteria and the health conditions that qualify. What are Personal Independence Payments (PIP)? Personal Independence Payments (PIP) are designed to support individuals with long-term illnesses, mental health conditions, or physical or learning disabilities. The payments are typically made every four weeks. The eligibility for Personal Independence Payment (PIP) is not based on National Insurance contributions and it's not means-tested. This implies that you can still qualify even if you're employed, have savings, or are receiving other benefits. PIP is divided into two components - a daily living rate and a mobility rate – and you could be eligible for one or both simultaneously. Both these rates offer a standard rate and an enhanced rate. This benefit is tax-free and the amount you receive is not affected by your income or savings. What is the value of PIP? Here are the new weekly rates, but remember that PIP is paid every four weeks: Daily living component: £73.90 (lower weekly rate) £110.40 (higher weekly rate). Mobility component: £29.20 (lower weekly rate) £77.05 (higher weekly rate). These rates mean that if, for example, you qualify for both the enhanced daily living and enhanced mobility components of the payments, you will receive a total of £749.80 every four weeks. If you qualify for both the standard daily living and standard mobility components, you will receive £412.40 every four weeks. Which medical conditions make you eligible for PIP? As reported by the Daily Record, there are 87 musculoskeletal conditions that could make you eligible for Personal Independence Payment (PIP) support. This aid can assist with daily living, mobility needs or both. It's crucial to remember that this list isn't exhaustive, so if your condition doesn't feature, don't be put off from making a claim. The PIP award is based on how your condition affects you, not the condition itself. Here's the list: Osteoarthritis of Hip. Osteoarthritis of Knee. Osteoarthritis of other single joint. Primary generalised Osteoarthritis. Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). Fibromyalgia. Pain syndromes - Chronic - Other / type not known. Ankylosing spondylitis. Arthritis - Psoriatic. Arthritis - Reactive. Inflammatory arthritis - Other / type not known. Juvenile chronic arthritis (Still's disease). Rheumatoid arthritis. Crystal deposition disorders - Other / type not known. Gout. Pseudogout. Osteochondritis. Osteonecrosis. Osteomalacia. Osteoporosis. Other metabolic and endocrine disorders of musculoskeletal system. Paget's disease. Rickets. Achondroplasia. Epiphyseal dysplasia - multiple. Genetic disorders, dysplasias and malformations - Other / type not known. Hereditary multiple exostosis (diaphyseal aclasis). Hypermobility syndrome. Marfan's syndrome. Osteogenesis imperfecta. Tumours of bone - benign. Compartment syndrome (Volkmann's ischaemia). Fracture complications - Other / type not known. Sudek's atrophy. Generalised musculoskeletal disease - Other / type not known. Adhesive capsulitis (frozen shoulder). Rotator cuff disorder. Shoulder disorders - Other / type not known. Shoulder instability. Elbow disorders - Other / type not known. Golfers elbow (medial epicondylitis). Tennis elbow (lateral epicondylitis). Carpal tunnel syndrome. Dupuytren's contracture. Tendon lesions. Tenosynovitis. Wrist and hand disorders - Other / type not known. Cervical disc lesion. Cervical spondylosis. Neck disorders - Other / type not known. Whiplash injury. Back pain - Non specific (mechanical). Back pain - Specific - Other / type not known. Kyphosis. Lumbar disc lesion. Lumbar spondylosis (OA spine). Schuermann's disease. Scoliosis. Spinal stenosis. Spondylolisthesis. Dislocation of the hip - congenital. Hip disorders - Other / type not known. Slipped upper femoral epiphysis. Bursitis. Chondromalacia patellae. Knee disorders - Other / type not known. Ligamentous instability of knee. Meniscal lesions. Osgood schlatters disease. Osteochondritis dissecans. Patellar dislocation - Recurrent. Ankle and foot disorders - Other / type not known. Club foot (talipes). Fore foot pain (Metatarsalgia). Hallux valgus /rigidus. Amputation - Lower limb(s). Amputation - Upper limb(s). Amputations - Upper and Lower limb/s. Abdomen - Injuries/Fracture/Dislocation of. Lower limb - Injuries/Fracture/Dislocation of. Multiple - Injuries/Fracture/Dislocation. Pelvis - Injuries/Fracture/Dislocation of. Spine - Injuries/Fracture/Dislocation of. Thorax - Injury/Fracture/Dislocation of. Upper limb - Injury/Fracture/Dislocation of. Musculoskeletal disease - Regional / Localised - Other / type not known. How to apply for PIP To qualify for the benefit, an assessment by an independent healthcare professional is required. This helps the DWP determine the level of help you need. Assessments can be conducted face-to-face, via video call, over the phone, or through paper-based evaluations. The DWP decides the method of assessment and you won't have a choice in this matter.
North Wales Live
15 hours ago
- North Wales Live
Life becomes a nightmare for hunderds of Welsh holiday let owners snared by hidden legal trap
Thousands of holiday let owners in Wales have been left bewildered after being hit with massive council tax bills out of the blue. It comes as an industry survey suggests nearly half of the country's self-catering businesses are now losing money, or barely breaking even, after failing achieve new letting targets set by the government. A little-known change in the law has seen many owners receiving council tax demands that often run into tens of thousands. Payments are often expected within seven days with the prospect of legal proceedings if they fail to settle. The huge bills stem from a legal technicality over the number of nights a property has been let. Although many owners believed they have met new letting thresholds set by the Welsh Government, and so thought they would not be liable for council tax, they've been caught out by a legislative pitfall. According to critics, it's left the holiday let sector in Wales on a 'cliff-edge'. The Professional Association of Self-Caterers (PASC) said it is currently dealing with hundreds of cases with more inquiries coming in every day from disbelieving owners bereft at the iniquity of the situation. A Welsh-speaking family letting out the family home in Abersoch, Gwynedd, is facing a three-year bill for £21,000 despite meeting all of what they thought to be their targets. They say Cyngor Gwynedd is understanding but the situation is placing intolerable demands on the property's 85-year-old owner. Meanwhile, a couple in Flintshire have received a demand for nearly £10,000. Colin and Rebecca Jones, from Afonwen, were left shocked to get a 'ridiculous' bill for a small two-person cottage just 8ft-9ft from the family home, a former mill with its old water wheel still in the garden. 'You can imagine the stress,' said Rebecca, an NHS personal assistant. 'It's horrendous. It's having a terrible impact on our lives and we're now having to look at all options, including annexing the properties and stripping out the cottage's kitchen.' Join the North Wales Live Whatsapp community now Since launching their business in February 2022, Colin and Rebecca have met what they thought were their required targets. In the first year, they hit 164 nights – way over the 70-night threshold that apparently existed at the time. When the bar was raised in April 2023, requiring owners to let their properties for at least 182 nights, they redoubled their efforts and, with price-cutting, they managed to meet the 182-night target in the subsequent two years. In the current financial year, they've so far let the cottage for 101 nights and are confident of reaching the target again. Hitting the lettings threshold is important as it qualifies owners for cheaper business rates rather than more expensive second home council tax, which often come with an added 'second home' premium. As this premium is as high as 200% in some counties - effectively trebling council tax bills – it can make the difference between a business succeeding or failing Colin and Rebecca were shocked to discover that, when assessed by the Valuation Office Agency (VOA), they were deemed to have failed to have met their letting targets. Like many owners, they believed that as the law only changed from April 2023, they only needed to reach the new letting thresholds from then on. They hadn't realised the 182-night rule applies retrospectively - meaning they missed the threshold in the first year. This made them liable for council tax for each of the past three years. Nicky Williamson, Wales policy lead at PASC Cymru, said she was not surprised so many people can't understand what's going on. 'We're getting lots of exasperated calls every day,' she said. 'It's very confusing and it's difficult for people to get their heads around what's happening. Assessments must be made on a daily basis, so we have situations where owners are getting notices on March 31 saying they met the 70-day target, followed by notices on April 1 saying they hadn't as the rules had changed. 'It's awful, a total minefield. But whether we like it or not, unfortunately it's the law. We're working with the VOA on this issue and, to be fair, they're doing their best within the legal limitations. But they're in a pretty impossible situation, now facing extra demands at a time when they're already dealing with huge backlogs.' The upshot is that the 70-night target was an illusion for most holiday lets in Wales in 2022-23. The situation has been compared to a football match where, late in the second half, players are told the rules have changed and the goalposts have been shifted. Local authorities are not at fault – they can only act on VOA assessments of a property's status based on the law at the time. The fall-out is sending shockwaves through a sector that's already struggling to meet the higher 182-night threshold. Of the estimated 22,000 short-term lets in Wales, feedback suggests around half are failing to hit the target. For owners, the ramifications are disastrous. In a recent PASC Cymru survey, 47% of owners now paying premium council taxes said they are now losing money. In North Wales, only Wrexham Council doesn't charge a second home premium. Elsewhere, it ranges from 100% (double) to 200% (treble). Councils justify the policy as a necessary measure to manage the proliferation of holiday and second homes, aiming to alleviate the housing crisis. But with tourism a major contributor to the Welsh economy, critics claim the approach risks hobbling the industry. Nicky noted the typical holiday let in Wales is a two-bedroom cottage. 'The average turnover for these businesses is £20,000 which, after costs, returns an average profit of £3,000,' she said. 'So it's easy to see why nearly half of all lets are now losing money when faced with large council tax demands, some of them unexpected. Being moved to council tax from business rates is associated with around half of Welsh self-catering businesses becoming non-viable.' Amongst the worst cases known to PASC involves a three-generation, Welsh-speaking family forced to give up their home of 50 years. After buying a derelict farm, they developed it into a five-star holiday let complex with four cottages, focusing on family holidays for more than 20 years. When they received a back-dated council tax demand for £37,000, they had no option but to sell up. Feeling misled When recovering council taxes, local authorities have some discretion. However, Freedom of Information requests by PASC Cymru indicate few are applying it. An exception appears to be Cyngor Gwynedd. According to the Abersoch owners facing a £21,000 bill, they're now stuck in an endless cycle of demands, followed by pleas for delays and clemency. Invariably these are agreed, only for renewed demands to arrive in the post a few weeks later. They too met all their official letting targets – or so they thought. 'We are a Welsh family from the area who have owned this house since the 1930s,' said the owner's daughter, who asked not to be named. 'We are not someone who has bought into the area. This is a family home handed down the generations that we still use as well as letting it out. 'The council must have hundreds of owners in a similar position. They tell us they are waiting for the government to sort it out. In the meantime we're facing large and unfair bills.' Many in the industry consider the rule changes amounted to retrospective legislation. Although VOA letters were sent to holiday let owners in October 2022, alerting them to the upcoming changes, awareness remains low. Even had the sector realised the implications at the time, few businesses would have been able to shift gears and increase lettings to make up the difference, having missed the busy summer season. Many in the sector feel misled. PASC Cymru said there's little holiday let owners can do. 'It's difficult to challenge the legislation,' said Nicky Williamson. Sign up for the North Wales Live newsletter sent twice daily to your inbox Feeling trapped The VOA is encouraging all holiday let owners to continue paying their council taxes or business rates whilst any cases are reviewed. A spokesperson said: 'Following Welsh Government's announcement of the new business rates criteria for self-catering properties, we wrote to all self-catering property owners in October 2022 to let them know about upcoming changes and how this would be assessed. 'If businesses feel they have been incorrectly assessed they can provide evidence for our teams to review. If a customer informs us that they are experiencing financial hardship we will prioritise their case.' In Afonwen, Colin and Rebecca now feel trapped. As things stand, making a profit is difficult enough without large and unexpected bills. Mothballing their holiday let would not only depreciate the property, it would attract an empty home premium. Like the second home equivalent in Flintshire, this currently amounts to 100% on top of standard council tax bills. From next year, Flintshire's empty home premium will be levied on a sliding scale ranging from 150%-300%. In an attempt to stop the two properties being considered separate homes, one option being explored is to link them together via an extension, and stripping out the cottage kitchen. It's an approach that's been tried elsewhere in Wales but PASC Cymru said a legal precedent has yet to be set. Colin, a quantity survey, is determined to fight for justice and has raised a formal complaint with the VOA. He said: 'This is not a second home, it is literally less than 10 steps from our back door. We do not go there for weekends or on holiday!'
