The taxman says three and a half million people are due a refund, but two million will have to fork out for underpaid tax.
HMRC's latest campaign to target tax-dodging solicitors
HMRC's latest campaign is targetting a host of workers including the legal profession in London and the motor industry in Scotland.
HMRC's latest campaign to target tax-dodging solicitors
HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) is clamping down on solicitors and barristers in London who are expected to owe around £3 million in tax payments.
This is all part of a new taskforce which has been launched by the taxman to recover more than £19.5 million from workers across the country.
Who is HMRC after?
Along with lawyers in London, the grocery and retail trade in South and North Wales and the South West of England, hair and beauty professionals in the North East, restaurant businesses in the South East and Solent and the motor trade in Scotland are all being investigated.
HMRC has identified them as "high-risk trade sectors and locations".
The traders on the HMRC list have been picked out because they’re either not paying their taxes at all or paying the wrong amount. The new taskforce will undertake "intensive bursts of activity" in these areas. Those on the list will be visited and their financial records examined.
Previous taskforce launches
[SPOTLIGHT]Since May 2011 HMRC has launched 30 specialist taskforces like this to try to track down tax dodgers across the country.
These have looked into workers in a wide range of sectors including clothing, the motor industry, direct sellers, landlords and market traders as well as those in the restaurant and scrap metal sectors.
They were set up following the Government’s £917 million investment to try and tackle tax evasion, avoidance and fraud from 2011/12 and its aim is to raise £7 billion each year by 2014/15.
What happens if HMRC finds you?
Various campaigns are being launched across the internet and TV channels to alert people to the fact that HMRC is on a mission to find and expose tax dodgers.
Within the information released by HMRC is quite a lot of warnings. Mike Eland, director general for enforcement and compliance at HMRC, rather ominously says: "Those deliberately evading tax, be warned that HMRC is coming after you.
"This is not an empty threat - HMRC can and will track you down if you choose to break the rules."
In reality if HMRC does locate you and find you guilty of tax evasion you’re likely to face a significant fine and possibly a criminal investigation.
Do you agree with HMRC’s latest campaign and is it right to focus on individuals? Let me know in the comment box below.
More on taxes:
Watch out for these HMRC tax refund scams
The taxman is watching your eBay account
related stories on msn
2Comments
02/10/2012 14:12
Hi Stuart. do you remember the olden days when even hardened criminals would put their hands up and and say "It is a fair cop guv, I dunnit". Now it seems that (honourable)members of the establishment MPs, Civil Servants, Lawyers and Bankers screwing us all with relish while Directors on some company Boards are saying what pay freeze?
30/09/2012 15:41
Honourable men do honourable things. Funny thing the poor have no way of fiddling their taxes but the richer element are at it tooth and nail. These are the same people who would preach loyalty to the Nation in times of crisis, no doubt so that the poor people will join the forces and go out and kill or maim others or be killed or maimed themselves. If they are wise enough not to volunteer, politicians introduce conscription. Evading or avoiding tax may seem like a smart thing to do and when the economy is bouyant, a jolly good jape, either is tantamount to treason in times of economic crisis and people doing it should be hounded like criminals
Report
Are you sure you want to delete this comment?
latest money videos
more on msn money
Fed up with low savings rates and high borrowing rates? As Dave Fishwick and his Bank of Dave has demonstrated, there are other options out there.
If you want to find a unique property bargain, there is plenty of help available online - you just need to know where to look.
US couple have found an innovative solution to the problem of sky-high house prices.
The two banks have now joined the Post Office's banking network, meaning customers can make withdrawals and deposits at branches around the UK.
Get 5p off per litre of fuel at Shell, broadband from £2 a month and more in our latest discount and freebie round-up.
Lifestyling is supposed to mean that your pension pot becomes more secure the nearer you get to retirement. Yet your pension provider might be switching you to overpriced and therefore riskier investments.
If you want to borrow a larger sum of money and repay it over time, a conventional personal loan is not always your best option.
Look out for these warning signs when house-hunting
Analysts at Barclays calculate Co-op – whose debt has been downgraded to junk – could need £1.8bn in worst case scenario
Government measures responsible for pickup in demand that has yet to be matched by increase in supply, says Rics
Majority of Brits feel no more optimistic about their finances despite economic revival
