View all newsletters
Have the short, sharp Spear's newsletter delivered to your inbox each week
  1. Wealth
December 14, 2009

FT: UK leaks £40bn tax every year

By Spear's

Loopholes, evasion and other flaws in the tax system are costing the country about £40bn in revenue a year, according to an official estimate likely to inflame arguments over how to repair Britain’s biggest ever peacetime deficit.

Loopholes, evasion and other flaws in the tax system are costing the country about £40bn in revenue a year, according to an official estimate likely to inflame arguments over how to repair Britain’s biggest ever peacetime deficit.

The analysis, released with last week’s pre-Budget report, has sparked anger from campaigners, amid concern from advisers and officials that identifying “a pot of gold” of uncollected tax will erode public support for the tough decisions on tax and spending required to narrow the deficit.

HM Revenue & Customs’ first ever estimate of the overall “tax gap” reveals that 8 per cent of the expected tax due goes uncollected for a variety of reasons ranging from simple errors to criminal attacks. It says the scale of the gap compares “favourably” with similar estimates produced by other countries such as the 14 per cent gap in the US, the 10 per cent gap in Sweden and 6 per cent in Denmark.

Advisers expressed scepticism about the tax gap calculations, however. Francesca Lagerberg of Grant Thornton, a professional services firm, said the Revenue risked chasing after “mythical amounts”. Bill Dodwell of Deloitte, another professional services firm, said: “It really is finger in the air stuff.”

To read the full story, visit ft.com

Content from our partners
Porto Montenegro: Adriatic Elegance Tailored to You
Family office gold rush in Hong Kong
Top of the league for football fans

Select and enter your email address The short, sharp email newsletter from Spear’s
  • Business owner/co-owner
  • CEO
  • COO
  • CFO
  • CTO
  • Chairperson
  • Non-Exec Director
  • Other C-Suite
  • Managing Director
  • President/Partner
  • Senior Executive/SVP or Corporate VP or equivalent
  • Director or equivalent
  • Group or Senior Manager
  • Head of Department/Function
  • Manager
  • Non-manager
  • Retired
  • Other
Visit our privacy policy for more information about our services, how Progressive Media Investments may use, process and share your personal data, including information on your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications.
Thank you

Thanks for subscribing.

Websites in our network