By Lyndsey Hall
HMRC have published a list of the individuals and businesses that they consider to be “deliberately defaulting” paying tax. The list includes names, addresses, the amount of tax owed, and the penalty being charged for each defaulter, suggesting that HMRC has increased fines for tax defaulters. Some of the offenders include a hairdresser, a Tandoori restaurant, a wine merchant, and a labour provider that is being penalised over £1 million for tax evasion.
Penalties apply to individuals and businesses that have deliberate errors in their tax returns, or are deliberately failing to comply with tax rules.
HMRC intend to release the details of deliberate tax defaulters on a quarterly basis from now on. HMRC can publish information about a deliberate tax defaulter if they have been investigated and charged with one or more penalty for deliberate default, and if those penalties involve tax of more than £25,000. This information will only not be published if the defaulter earns a full reduction of penalties by fully disclosing the details of the defaults. HMRC are also prevented by law from publishing information about a person for over a year after they first publish any details about them.
What do you think of HMRC’s new heavier methods of dealing with tax evaders and defaulters? Let us know your thoughts in the Comments.
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