Tax inspectors get police-like powers to tackle tax evaders

[HairyArsedBloke]

Sminki: Telegraph

The inspectors can now turn up at people’s homes or businesses unannounced and examine their records if they believe not enough tax has been paid.

Gary Ashford, head of tax risk, disputes and investigations at accountancy firm RSM Tenon, said that the powers under civil law made them inspectors more powerful than the police. So far hundreds of people are thought to have been subject to the intrusive unannounced checks.

The powers are likely to be targeted at people who run businesses, but can also be targeted at anyone who works from home or has a portfolio of rental properties through buy-to-let mortgages.

Mr Ashford said: "It is not about avoidance or evasion, it is if a tax inspector wants to satisfy himself if someone is paying the right tax. It can be a business or individual – any taxpayer.

This is just the kick in the arse that I need to motivate myself to get things in order and out of the country.

[AtW]

Step 1: bring all nationalised banks into HMRC

Step 2: ban any UK taxpayer (including businesses) from having any bank account other that of HRMC

Step 3: all payments to person outside of that bank account will be deemed tax evasion punishable by 20 years in jail or whatever waiting period it takes to approve a sockie on CUK these days, whichever is longer.

Simples.

[HairyArsedBloke]

Step 1: bring all nationalised banks into HMRC

Step 2: ban any UK taxpayer (including businesses) from having any bank account other that of HRMC

Step 3: all payments to person outside of that bank account will be deemed tax evasion punishable by 20 years in jail or whatever waiting period it takes to approve a sockie on CUK these days, whichever is longer.

Simples.

Phew, that's OK. None of it applies to me.

[xoggoth]

“Unannounced visits, which are the exception, are only made where pre-arranging the visit would undermine the purpose of the inspection and are targeted at serious fraud.”

While I hate to believe HMRC on principle I suspect that is fairly accurate. It would not be cost effective to make unnanounced visits to small companies over smallish amounts on a routine basis. While companies are obliged to keep certain records that doesn't mean they have to keep them tidily and available for instant access. Inspectors would be hanging around for ages while people dug things out.

[AtW]

Phew, that's OK. None of it applies to me.

Only until change in the law that like USA any UK subject is deemed UK Taxpayer regardless where they are

[HairyArsedBloke]

Only until change in the law that like USA any UK subject is deemed UK Taxpayer regardless where they are

It's near enough like that now.

However, I have a cunning plan.......