HMRC plans to introduce a tax avoidance criminal offence risks overreach, the Chartered Institute of Taxation (CIOT) has warned. HMRC plans to create a new strict liability criminal offence for failing to disclose notifiable arrangements under the Disclosure of Tax Avoidance Schemes (DOTAS) regime without a reasonable excuse. The CIOT argues that DOTAS is much… Read more…

HMRC has issued a warning to be on high alert for scams linked to Winter Fuel Payments after receiving 15,100 reports of bogus activity in June. Fraudsters have been targeting vulnerable individuals using SMS messages and phishing websites. During June, HMRC took action to remove 4,600 fake websites linked to Winter Fuel Payments. HMRC is… Read more…

Inheritance Tax (IHT) on pensions is the most unpopular of the tax raising measures introduced by the Labour government during its first year, according to a survey. The survey conducted by investment platform AJ Bell found that 44% of respondents were opposed to the pension IHT proposals while only 21% supported them. Other measures were… Read more…

Personal guarantees risk holding back the growth the economy needs, the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) has warned. Research by the FSB shows that 60% of limited company directors would borrow to grow their business – if they did not have to put hard-earned assets like savings or their houses on the line. By contrast,… Read more…

Taxpayers are being urged to check their online HMRC account after scammers attempted to defraud the tax authority using individuals’ data and login details. The Low Incomes Tax Reform Group (LITRG) is also reminding people of the importance of being vigilant and taking care of personal data. HMRC recently announced that criminals had targeted the… Read more…

The government should take a more strategic approach to tax policy, consulting earlier and giving greater thought to the design of the tax system, says Nichola Ross Martin, President of the Chartered Institute of Taxation (CIOT). In her inaugural speech as CIOT President, Ross Martin said that making a success of MTD will need HMRC… Read more…

HMRC has named and shamed over 500 UK employers for failing to pay the National Living Wage (NLW) or the National Minimum Wage (NMW). The employers will now be forced to repay over £7.4 million to nearly 60,000 workers who had been left out of pocket. Employers who left nearly 60,000 workers over £7.4 million… Read more…

The government has introduced the Pension Schemes Bill, which it says will make pensions easier to understand and manage as well as drive better value over the long term. The bill will work to ensure savers get good returns and drive economic investment by requiring defined contribution (DC) schemes to prove they are value for… Read more…

The tax gap estimate was 5.3% for the 2023/24 tax year, according to the latest data from HMRC. The tax gap is the difference between what tax is expected to be paid and actually paid. HMRC collected £829.2 billion in the 2023/24 tax year representing 94.7% of all tax due, leaving £46.8 billion unpaid. However,… Read more…

The UK government is aiming to slash energy prices, unlock investment and upskill the workforce in its Industrial Strategy. The government says the Industrial Strategy was developed in partnership with business and includes targeted support for the areas of the country and economy that have the greatest potential to grow. It says it will slash… Read more…