Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many tax avoidance schemes have been closed by HMRC in the last 10 years.

The government is committed to tackle avoidance, evasion and non-compliance at all levels and has introduced over 100 measures since 2010 which, alongside HMRC compliance work has protected over £200 billion in tax revenue which would have otherwise gone unpaid.

Where tax avoidance is suspected HMRC investigates and challenges those arrangements, through litigation if necessary. HMRC wins around 90% of avoidance cases taken to litigation and has protected over £3 billion of tax in the last two years, with many more people settling their tax affairs before reaching this stage. Tax avoidance litigation decisions are published annually on GOV.UK.

The marketplace for tax avoidance has shrunk considerably over recent years seeing the number of new schemes disclosed under the Disclosure of Tax Avoidance Schemes (DOTAS) regime fall by over 95% since 2005/06.

HMRC raises awareness of tax avoidance schemes though its series of spotlight publications which are available on GOV.UK.