HMRC hunts £2billion tax dodgers, but only ONE big tax cheat has been convicted in seven years
Investigators closed whopping 72 cases of suspected tax fraud and Labour MP Margaret Hodge expresses concerns
A TEAM set up to target the biggest tax dodgers has only successfully prosecuted one case in seven years.
Investigators closed 72 cases of suspected tax fraud.
Only two were criminally investigated and one led to a conviction.
Probes into ten of the richest cases of suspected fraud continue.
The taxman is pursuing nearly £2billion in unpaid taxes from the mega wealthy, National Audit Office figures show today.
More than half the unpaid cash is hidden in tax avoidance schemes.
HMRC’s specialist unit raised £416million on top of tax voluntarily declared by the country’s richest in 2015/16.
But NAO head Amyas Morse said: “The tax affairs of the wealthiest in society are complex.
“HMRC’s specialist team gives it a better understanding of the tax affairs and behaviours of these taxpayers.
"While the yields from HMRC’s work in this area have increased it needs to evaluate what approaches are the most effective and to understand the outcomes it achieves.”
Labour MP Margaret Hodge, who chairs a cross-party group on taxation, said: “This is another piece of evidence that confirms that HMRC will not use the legal powers at its disposal to pursue the richest in our country who are deliberately avoiding tax.”
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An HMRC spokesman said: “Everyone must pay the tax that is due and we do not accept less.
“HMRC enforces the rules impartially and last year we tracked down an additional £416 million in tax from the wealthiest, which would have otherwise gone unpaid.
“We will continue to evaluate our results so that we carry on getting what is due to the country.
“The NAO’s report recognises that taxing the wealthy is complex but also commends HMRC’s approach as both sensible and in line with OECD best practice advice.”