Mala Kapacee runs the rule over HMRC’s latest move to tackle tax avoidance. So will it really tackle the deep-lying issues?
HMRC has (finally) had enough of promoters of tax avoidance schemes (TAS) and has issued a new consultation entitled ‘Closing in on promoters of tax avoidance’.
The consultation suggests a range of ways to extend HMRC’s powers so that the department is better able to deal with Promoters of TAS . The consultation is over 60 pages long, so rather than address each point in detail in this article I will discuss a few points and the general feel of it. The full document can be found here : https://tinyurl.com/zscnmkkd.
Like many, I am somewhat sceptical when it comes to giving HMRC more powers, mainly due to seeing how they use existing powers on a day-to-day basis. This, coupled with the retirement of expertise from HMRC and the government’s proposal to cut more civil service jobs, means that when reviewing consultations about HMRC powers we must consider not just how they are intended to be used but also how they may actually be used.
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