Fuels: Tax Evasion

(asked on 24th February 2020) - View Source

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the loss in revenue as a result of fuel laundering activities in Northern Ireland in each of the last five years.


Answered by
Jesse Norman Portrait
Jesse Norman
This question was answered on 3rd March 2020

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) estimate the difference between expected revenues and the tax that is actually paid in the annual publication, Measuring Tax Gaps: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/measuring-tax-gaps. These estimates cannot be disaggregated by type of fraud, for example laundering.

HMRC have estimated the oils (fuel duty) tax gap (including VAT) in Northern Ireland as follows:

  • £40 million in 2017-18
  • £40 million in 2016-17
  • £50 million in 2015-16
  • £50 million in 2014-15
  • £50 million in 2013-14

The estimates for 2015-16 and earlier years were calculated using a different methodology and therefore cannot be compared to the estimates for subsequent years.

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