Recommendation 33

HMRC has been described as “unrelenting and uncompromising” in the pursuit of unauthorised payment charges. While the position taken by HMRC is legally correct, it has often lacked empathy or understanding of impact that its demands have on victims. We recommend that HMRC should make greater use of its current discretion to support pension scam victims left owing large tax bills and that it should do its upmost to provide them certainty where possible. HM Treasury should recognise that, in some clearly defined circumstances, where the saver has been the victim of a crime and made no financial gain from the early access, it may not be in the public interest to demand payment of tax due. Where someone seeks to access their pension before the age of 55 without being eligible for one of the exemptions, we recommend that the pension schemes be required to withhold the Income Tax and surcharge and pay this to HMRC. In the event that the tax is not due, the individual could reclaim it from HMRC. This would ensure that victims of scams would not be subject to a tax bill on top of their pension loss. If a person has made a financial gain from early access, but can demonstrate that they have been the victim of a crime, they should be given the option to return the gains to an approved scheme within three years of the point at which they ought to have realised they have been scammed. If HMRC is unable to make greater use of its current discretion to waive the tax due by pension scam victims then the Government should consider whether legislation is required to give HMRC the option not to pursue the tax penalties of pension scam victims.