Revenue and Customs

(asked on 2nd December 2014) - View Source

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many members of staff at HM Revenue and Customs are responsbile for determining whether UK company formation agents are fit and proper persons.


Answered by
Priti Patel Portrait
Priti Patel
This question was answered on 5th December 2014

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is responsible for supervising the activities of some 2,600 businesses in the trust and company service providers sector under the Money Laundering Regulations, some of which undertake company formation activity on behalf of clients. Company formation is also carried out directly by Companies House, as well as by others such as lawyers and accountants that are not supervised by HMRC for the purposes of the Money Laundering Regulations.

The staff employed in supervisory, intelligence and prosecutory functions are contained within a variety of lines of business in HMRC. As such the number of staff and budget dedicated specifically to company formation agents is variable and cannot be identified.

There is a range of scenarios in which HMRC actions might result in a company formation agency stopping such activity, hence the information requested is not readily available.

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