Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the Employer National Insurance Contributions lost to the Exchequer as a result of the misclassification of workers as self-employed in the parcel delivery sector; and what steps he is taking to recover those contributions.

HMRC does not produce estimates of Employer National Insurance Contributions lost through worker misclassification in the parcel delivery sector.

Employment status for tax purposes depends on the specific terms and conditions of an engagement and must be determined on a case-by-case basis. Parcel delivery drivers may be correctly classified as self-employed or employed, depending on the particular facts of their engagement.

HMRC is committed to robustly tackling false self-employment and will investigate evidence that suggests companies may have misclassified individuals for tax purposes. In these cases, HMRC will identify the facts and take steps to ensure the correct tax and National Insurance Contributions are paid, along with any interest and penalties due. As announced by this Government, HMRC is recruiting 5,500 additional compliance officers to bolster tax compliance and close the tax gap. If someone is aware of non-compliance, they can report it to HMRC, and they will consider this evidence.