HMRC expects to claw back £23m from cabbies, market sellers and other tax-dodging self-employed traders as it rolls out another batch of niche taskforces.
London’s indoor and outdoor markets, taxi firms in Yorkshire and East Midlands, East Anglian, London, Yorkshire and North East property rentals as well as tax-dodging restaurant owners in the Midlands will from this week each have a designated task force targeted in its direction.
Speaking at the launch David Gauke, the Exchequer secretary, said: ‘HMRC is on target to collect more than £50m as a result of the taskforces launched in 2011/12.
‘We have made it clear that we will not tolerate tax evasion – everyone needs to pay the taxes they owe in full. We are determined to crack down on the minority who choose to break the rules. It is not fair that at a time when most hard-working people are paying the right tax, others are trying to get out of paying what they should.’
Commenting on the news Gary Ashford, CIOT representative on the Compliance Reform Forum, said: ‘Anyone who has been evading tax (whether income tax, PAYE or other taxes) in any part of the country should consider coming forward before they are found out. Voluntary disclosure usually leads to lower penalties, a reduced chance of prosecution and a reduced risk of being “named” under the publication of details of deliberate defaulters scheme.’
Ashford added: ‘The targeting of property rental income overlaps with other HMRC campaigns, for example the offshore campaign, as many property investors may well be UK residents holding offshore accounts, or non-doms, mistakenly not appreciating that UK source income is still taxable. Those affected should take advice from a tax adviser to make the most of the different disclosure facilities available.’
The latest batch of taskforces follows campaigns against as varied traders as plumbers, music teachers and take-away providers.
(Accountancy Live, 1 June 2012)
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