Recommendations & Conclusions
9 items
10
Conclusion
9th Report - Tax evasion in the retail …
Acknowledged
HMRC does not have a specific strategy for addressing tax evasion.23 In 2019 HMRC set its latest strategy to tackle tax non–compliance, which is built of three strands: promoting compliance through education and support; preventing non–compliance by improving policies and systems; and responding when non–compliance occurs.24 HMRC’s overall compliance strategy …
Read more
HMRC does not have a specific strategy for addressing tax evasion.23 In 2019 HMRC set its latest strategy to tackle tax non–compliance, which is built of three strands: promoting compliance through education and support; preventing non–compliance by improving policies and systems; and responding when non–compliance occurs.24 HMRC’s overall compliance strategy covers all forms of non–compliance, which include errors and carelessness as well as more deliberate non–compliance such as evasion, and is primarily tailored around types of taxpayers (such as small, medium– sized or large businesses).25 15 C&AG’s Report, para 1.15 16 Q 34 17 Q 35 18 Q 28 19 Q 53 20 Q 55 21 Companies House strategic intelligence assessment – GOV.UK 22 Q 54 23 C&AG’s Report, para 1.20 24 C&AG’s Report, para 1.21 25 C&AG’s Report, para 1.21 and Figure 2 10
Show less
Government response AI summary
The government agrees with the committee's recommendation and states that HMRC is looking into a specific strategy for evasion as it might consider a specific strategy for a behaviour if that behaviour requires a particular type of response.
Read full response →
HM Treasury
11
Conclusion
9th Report - Tax evasion in the retail …
Acknowledged
HMRC told us it has some separate and specific strategic approaches to particular types of non–compliance, such as serious fraud and illicit tobacco, but not for tax evasion.26 It told us that evasion is just one element of the tax gap and it wants to tackle all elements of it, …
Read more
HMRC told us it has some separate and specific strategic approaches to particular types of non–compliance, such as serious fraud and illicit tobacco, but not for tax evasion.26 It told us that evasion is just one element of the tax gap and it wants to tackle all elements of it, and that its general strategy applies equally to tax evasion and other parts of the tax gap.27 We asked HMRC whether it thought having a strategy for evasion would be a good idea. It told us that it is looking at this issue, explaining that it might consider a specific strategy for a behaviour if that behaviour requires a particular type of response. HMRC told us it needs to deploy its resources across the whole of the tax gap and apply approaches which work for the organisation.28
Show less
Government response AI summary
The government agrees with the committee's recommendation and states that HMRC is looking into a specific strategy for evasion as it might consider a specific strategy for a behaviour if that behaviour requires a particular type of response.
Read full response →
HM Treasury
12
Conclusion
9th Report - Tax evasion in the retail …
Acknowledged
Previously HMRC had an overall aim to stop the tax gap increasing.29 HMRC told us that it now wants to reduce the tax gap.30 At Autumn Budget 2024, the government increased HMRC’s settlement for 2025–26 by 4.5% in real terms and announced it was investing £1.4 billion over five years …
Read more
Previously HMRC had an overall aim to stop the tax gap increasing.29 HMRC told us that it now wants to reduce the tax gap.30 At Autumn Budget 2024, the government increased HMRC’s settlement for 2025–26 by 4.5% in real terms and announced it was investing £1.4 billion over five years for HMRC to recruit 5,000 additional compliance staff.31 HMRC told us this investment will allow it to bear down on the tax gap, including tax evasion.32
Show less
Government response AI summary
The government agrees with the committee's recommendation and states that HMRC wants to reduce the tax gap and highlights investments to increase compliance staff.
Read full response →
HM Treasury
13
Recommendation
9th Report - Tax evasion in the retail …
Acknowledged
HMRC does not have a specific focus on, or explicit objective for, its performance in tackling tax evasion.33 HMRC explained that it is driven by an overall compliance yield target which is designed to close the overall tax gap, but did not tell us whether it has a specific target …
Read more
HMRC does not have a specific focus on, or explicit objective for, its performance in tackling tax evasion.33 HMRC explained that it is driven by an overall compliance yield target which is designed to close the overall tax gap, but did not tell us whether it has a specific target to reduce the evasion tax gap.34 We asked HMRC how much tax evasion it is willing to tolerate. HMRC told us that it does not have a level of tolerance, and no tax evasion or non–compliance is acceptable to it. However, HMRC explained that it is inevitable that there will always be some level of non–compliance.35 26 Q 15 27 Q 17 28 Q 18 29 C&AG’s Report, para 9 30 Q 20 31 Autumn Budget 2024 – HC 295 32 Q 20 33 C&AG’s Report, para 9 34 Q 16 35 Q 20 11 Joint working across government
Show less
Government response AI summary
HMRC will increase its budget by £762 million for 2025-26 to boost compliance and customer service capacity, including investing in IT systems, data and tax practitioners.
Read full response →
HM Treasury
15
Recommendation
9th Report - Tax evasion in the retail …
Acknowledged
At Autumn Budget 2024, the government announced that it was increasing collaboration between HMRC, Companies House and the Insolvency Service to tackle phoenixism.40 The Insolvency Service told us that, since the publication of the National Audit Office’s report, it had started an action group alongside Companies House and HMRC to …
Read more
At Autumn Budget 2024, the government announced that it was increasing collaboration between HMRC, Companies House and the Insolvency Service to tackle phoenixism.40 The Insolvency Service told us that, since the publication of the National Audit Office’s report, it had started an action group alongside Companies House and HMRC to look at phoenixism.41 All three organisations said that they were committed to increasing collaboration between them to tackle phoenixism and HMRC told us the organisations would be developing a concrete plan over the remainder of the financial year. The organisations cited a range of benefits of increased collaboration including exploiting data sharing to aid early intervention and maximise opportunities to recover taxes due before insolvency.42
Show less
Government response AI summary
HMRC will develop a concrete plan to increase collaboration between HMRC, Companies House and the Insolvency Service to tackle phoenixism and will write to the Committee within 6 months to set out its plan.
Read full response →
HM Treasury
16
Recommendation
9th Report - Tax evasion in the retail …
Acknowledged
HMRC and Companies House have explored opportunities from Companies House’s new powers, including a single streamlined system for registering and filing company, Corporation Tax and VAT documentation which would provide more assurance over the addresses of registered businesses. HMRC and Companies House estimated in early 2024 that closer integration of …
Read more
HMRC and Companies House have explored opportunities from Companies House’s new powers, including a single streamlined system for registering and filing company, Corporation Tax and VAT documentation which would provide more assurance over the addresses of registered businesses. HMRC and Companies House estimated in early 2024 that closer integration of systems would take between five and 10 years to implement.43 HMRC and Companies House told us they are regularly meeting about this programme, but it will require significant investment and there are issues which need to be resolved first, including different definitions in their regimes and differences in filing dates.44 Both departments acknowledged that delivering 36 C&AG’s Report, para 2.8 37 Qq 56, 72 38 Q 71 39 Q 43 40 Autumn Budget 2024 – HC 295 41 Q 81 42 Q 94 43 C&AG’s Report, para 2.22 44 Q47 12 a joint service offers a significant prize.45 Companies House also explained that its shopping list was full delivering the reforms that ECCTA has already made possible, and it would need to deliver these first before a joint registration service.46 HMRC told us it was working with Companies House to bid for more investment at Spending Review to introduce a joint registration service.47 45 Qq 47–48 46 Q 47 47 Q 93 13 2 Preventing and responding to tax evasion Reforms to the role of Companies House
Show less
Government response AI summary
HMRC will write to the Committee in 6 months to update them on plans and progress regarding closer cooperation on company registrations and de-registrations, accounting and filing, as well as sharing risk intelligence and data.
Read full response →
HM Treasury
17
Conclusion
9th Report - Tax evasion in the retail …
Acknowledged
Until April 2024, Companies House had limited powers to check the validity of information provided to it by registered companies. It also had limited enforcement and intelligence–gathering powers, and limited scope to share data with other public bodies. The lack of checks meant it was easy for fraudsters to set …
Read more
Until April 2024, Companies House had limited powers to check the validity of information provided to it by registered companies. It also had limited enforcement and intelligence–gathering powers, and limited scope to share data with other public bodies. The lack of checks meant it was easy for fraudsters to set up legitimate UK companies for illegitimate means.48 Written evidence we received from RAVAS said that flaws in the verification systems operated by Companies House and HMRC have enabled bad actors to obtain UK company registrations and VAT numbers which can be used to pursue fraudulent behaviour.49 In its Strategic Intelligence Assessment, published October 2024, Companies House state that the number of company incorporations in the UK in 2021 and 2022 exceeded those around the world, with 758,751 UK incorporations in 2021 being 154% higher than the nearest country (Australia). Companies House’s data shows that UK incorporations in 2021 were 441% higher than in France, and 863% higher than in Germany in the same year. Companies House also say that the scale of abuse of the UK company register continues to grow.50
Show less
Government response AI summary
The government accepts the case for exploring options to improve the authenticity and integrity of company address information on the register and DBT and Companies House will report to the Committee on progress in November 2025.
Read full response →
HM Treasury
19
Conclusion
9th Report - Tax evasion in the retail …
Acknowledged
Some measures introduced under ECCTA will not be fully operational until Companies House develops the necessary systems and capability, or until further secondary legislation is in place. This includes verifying directors’ identities.53 Companies House told us identity verification will be introduced on a voluntary basis from spring 2025 and become …
Read more
Some measures introduced under ECCTA will not be fully operational until Companies House develops the necessary systems and capability, or until further secondary legislation is in place. This includes verifying directors’ identities.53 Companies House told us identity verification will be introduced on a voluntary basis from spring 2025 and become mandatory from autumn
Show less
Government response AI summary
The government accepts the case for exploring options to improve the authenticity and integrity of company address information on the register and DBT and Companies House will report to the Committee on progress in November 2025.
Read full response →
HM Treasury
20
Conclusion
9th Report - Tax evasion in the retail …
Acknowledged
The identity checks that Companies House is now responsible for are not intended to verify the address or place of business.57 Companies House told us that address verification, which it says would be an additional burden on businesses, is not part of ECCTA. It said there was a balance between …
Read more
The identity checks that Companies House is now responsible for are not intended to verify the address or place of business.57 Companies House told us that address verification, which it says would be an additional burden on businesses, is not part of ECCTA. It said there was a balance between preventing economic crime and creating an environment for economic growth by minimising burdens on businesses.58 Companies House explained that it will still be possible for individuals to falsely register at addresses because it has no legal powers to check whether addresses exist or request any information on addresses.59 Companies House acknowledged that the ability to check addresses would enable it to better tackle evasion and fraud.60 Controls for VAT registrations
Show less
Government response AI summary
The government accepts the case for exploring options to improve the authenticity and integrity of company address information on the register and DBT and Companies House will report to the Committee on progress in November 2025.
Read full response →
HM Treasury