Tax Avoidance

(asked on 11th May 2020) - View Source

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps HMRC has taken to hold to account (a) lawyers, (b) accountants and (c) other licensed professionals who provided advice on avoidance schemes covered by the 2019 Loan Charge provisions of the Finance Act 2017.


Answered by
Jesse Norman Portrait
Jesse Norman
This question was answered on 19th May 2020

HMRC vigorously pursue those who promote or enable tax avoidance schemes.

HMRC recently published on GOV.UK a summary of the evidence they provided to Sir Amyas Morse’s Independent Review of the Loan Charge. This includes information on the measures introduced and action taken to tackle promoters and enablers of disguised remuneration and other tax avoidance schemes: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/independent-loan-charge-review-summary-of-evidence/section-8-powers-to-tackle-tax-avoidance

In addition, HMRC published a policy paper in March 2020 laying out their approach to tackling promoters of mass-marketed tax avoidance schemes, and those who facilitate the use of these schemes. This can be found at the link below: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/tackling-promoters-of-mass-marketed-tax-avoidance-schemes/tackling-promoters-of-mass-marketed-tax-avoidance-schemes

The Government also announced at Budget 2020 two calls for evidence to assist with future initiatives; a forthcoming call for evidence on tackling future use of disguised remuneration, and a call for evidence on raising standards in the tax advice market: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/call-for-evidence-raising-standards-in-the-tax-advice-market.

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