Up To £1.5bn Of Unpaid Tax Could Be Written Off by HMRC

[Saddo]

BBC News - Unpaid tax of £1.5bn 'could be written off'

It'll be good if it happens.....

[Alf W]

"These people who have underpaid earn 30, 40, 50k a year and got benefits such as a company car and we're not told about them until after the tax has been paid."

Why is that a good thing? I don't see why my taxes should be used to subsidise an army of sales reps.

[Saddo]

Why is that a good thing? I don't see why my taxes should be used to subsidise an army of sales reps.

Stop being pedantic. HMRC were very recently going on about sending out tax demands to millions of people relating to unpaid tax, so if they have now discovered that the cost of the exercise exceeds the proceeds returned that must be a good thing, init?

Of course, if they invested that effort into chasing after all those slimey contractor tax dodgers instead....

[Jog On]

Up to £1.5bn of unpaid tax is likely to be written off by HM Revenue and Customs, insiders have told the BBC.

Staff said the vast majority would not be pursued because the cases involved were over two years old and open to legal challenge from taxpayers.

Isn't that morally indefensible?

"If we had the chance to sort it out three years ago we could have recovered the money. It is now likely to be written off if it's over two years - we're not looking at underpayments beyond two years."

The staff member added: "Our directors are telling people that [those who owe tax] will appeal and fight it and this will generate more work."

Morally indefensible!!

In a tough-talking speech, the Treasury's chief secretary said the government would find £900m to tackle people who escape tax, or legally avoid their "fair share."

Danny Alexander told the Lib Dem party conference that avoidance and evasion, both "unacceptable," were now "morally indefensible" due to today's economic climate.

"Both come down to stealing money from your neighbours," he said, condemning people who see tax avoidance as a "lifestyle choice that is socially acceptable."

Alongside tax evaders, people who avoid paying their full tax liability "will no longer get away with it," the conference heard, thanks to a raft of new government measures.

You couldn't make this stuff up could you....

[Saddo]

You couldn't make this stuff up could you....

I think they just have. Which could be a concern regarding the ongoing IR35 review. I think. But what do I know....

[meridian]

Alongside tax evaders, people who avoid paying their full tax liability "will no longer get away with it," the conference heard, thanks to a raft of new government measures.

So, once again, it's "pay what we think you should" and not "pay what the current statutes say".

No matter how the Govt and their raft of tax advisors amend or increase the legislation, there will always be people who will organise their affairs in such a way as to minimise their tax liability. I'm obliged to pay the minimum amount of tax owing under legislation, not the maximum (or some other arbitrary amount as defined by some tosser who probably pays his housekeeper in cash...)

[Jog On]

people who avoid paying their full tax liability "will no longer get away with it,"

I think this is what they need to clarify.

Legal liability - yes

'Moral liability' - fook off

[lilelvis2000]

Perhaps if they concentrated on all the people who lie on their self assessments and also lie on their tax credit claims that would go a whole long way to closing the tax gap.

Chasing after people who were told their tax was calculated correctly and then later says it wasn't, is not on really. I couldn't do that myself as a business.

But then the gov't is on its own planet and are our elected dictators. So can do what they like.

[Doggy Styles]

I think this is what they need to clarify.

Legal liability - yes

'Moral liability' - fook off

Indeed, and there is bugger all they can do about it.

What court would uphold a tax demand that is outside legislation?