Over £2 billion collected from tax avoidance scheme users

11 February 2016

New statistics reveal that HMRC has collected more than £2 billion in disputed tax from tax avoiders, under rules introduced by the government in 2014.

The new Accelerated Payments notices mean that users of tax avoidance schemes pay disputed tax up-front while their tax-affairs are investigated, instead of waiting until they are concluded. Given HMRC wins 80% of cases that go to court, this eliminates the financial advantage that tax avoiders previously enjoyed.

The latest edition of Spotlight has also been published which highlights some of the misleading claims that tax avoidance scheme promotors make to reel people and businesses in. Claims such as:

• you can receive tax-free payments that are compliant with tax law
• the arrangements are recognised by HMRC as not an avoidance scheme.

Read Spotlight 29 for full details.