Asked by: Alyn Smith (Scottish National Party - Stirling)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has plans to review his Department's use of debt collection agencies to send final opportunity letters.
Answered by Jesse Norman - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
As part of their overall collections strategy, debt collection agencies (DCAs) provide HMRC with additional capacity. The department keeps under review the cost effectiveness and value for money that using DCAs provides to the Exchequer and UK citizens. There are no current plans to move away from using agencies to send final opportunity letters.
The table below sets out the total expenditure on DCAs by HMRC and the amount spent instructing them to issue final opportunity letters.
| Total spend | Final opportunity letter spend |
2017/18 | £ 32,099,756.77 | £1,714,901.62 |
2018/19 | £ 26,021,351.78 | £1,302,490.63 |
2019/20 | £ 26,163,245.08 | £1,242,984.66 |
Final opportunity letters are sent on HMRC’s behalf by some of the debt collection agencies that the department works with. These are:
The full list of debt collection agencies that HMRC work with can be found on GOV.UK: https://www.gov.uk/if-you-dont-pay-your-tax-bill/debt-collection-agencies.
Asked by: Alyn Smith (Scottish National Party - Stirling)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much his Department has spent on instructing debt collection agencies to send final opportunity letters in each of the last three years.
Answered by Jesse Norman - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
As part of their overall collections strategy, debt collection agencies (DCAs) provide HMRC with additional capacity. The department keeps under review the cost effectiveness and value for money that using DCAs provides to the Exchequer and UK citizens. There are no current plans to move away from using agencies to send final opportunity letters.
The table below sets out the total expenditure on DCAs by HMRC and the amount spent instructing them to issue final opportunity letters.
| Total spend | Final opportunity letter spend |
2017/18 | £ 32,099,756.77 | £1,714,901.62 |
2018/19 | £ 26,021,351.78 | £1,302,490.63 |
2019/20 | £ 26,163,245.08 | £1,242,984.66 |
Final opportunity letters are sent on HMRC’s behalf by some of the debt collection agencies that the department works with. These are:
The full list of debt collection agencies that HMRC work with can be found on GOV.UK: https://www.gov.uk/if-you-dont-pay-your-tax-bill/debt-collection-agencies.
Asked by: Alyn Smith (Scottish National Party - Stirling)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much his Department has spent on debt collection agencies in each of the last three years.
Answered by Jesse Norman - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
As part of their overall collections strategy, debt collection agencies (DCAs) provide HMRC with additional capacity. The department keeps under review the cost effectiveness and value for money that using DCAs provides to the Exchequer and UK citizens. There are no current plans to move away from using agencies to send final opportunity letters.
The table below sets out the total expenditure on DCAs by HMRC and the amount spent instructing them to issue final opportunity letters.
| Total spend | Final opportunity letter spend |
2017/18 | £ 32,099,756.77 | £1,714,901.62 |
2018/19 | £ 26,021,351.78 | £1,302,490.63 |
2019/20 | £ 26,163,245.08 | £1,242,984.66 |
Final opportunity letters are sent on HMRC’s behalf by some of the debt collection agencies that the department works with. These are:
The full list of debt collection agencies that HMRC work with can be found on GOV.UK: https://www.gov.uk/if-you-dont-pay-your-tax-bill/debt-collection-agencies.
Asked by: Alyn Smith (Scottish National Party - Stirling)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, for what reason ten pin bowling businesses were not included in the reduction in VAT that was extended to food outlets, cinemas and other competitor businesses in response to the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Jesse Norman - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
The temporary reduced rate of VAT was introduced on 15 July to support the cash flow and viability of over 150,000 businesses and protect 2.4 million jobs in the hospitality and tourism sectors, which have been severely affected by COVID-19.
Hospitality for the purposes of this relief includes the supply of food and non-alcoholic beverages from restaurants, cafes, pubs and similar establishments for consumption on the premises. It also includes the supply of hot food and non-alcoholic hot beverages to take away.
Where a ten-pin bowling business provides such hospitality, that hospitality will benefit from the reduced rate, although admission to ten-pin bowling itself is not eligible. Further information can be found in VAT Guidance: reduced rate for hospitality, holiday accommodation and attractions on GOV.UK: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/catering-takeaway-food-and-vat-notice-7091