Barristers’ Turn in the Dock

HMRC have announced a number of new anti-evasion taskforces that will target London's barristers and other legal professionals, together with a number of other trades in various locations throughout the UK. This will be the first time that a professional group has been selected for scrutiny as previously doctors and dentists, tutors and coaches were dealt with by way of disclosure campaigns.

As well as the capital's legal eagles the following trades will also fall under the spotlight:

  • Grocers and retailers in South and North Wales, North West and the South West;
  • Hairdressers, beauty salons and tattooists in the North East;
  • Restaurants in the South East and Solent area; and
  • Motor traders in Scotland.

These latest Revenue taskforces are expected to recover more than £19.75 million in unpaid taxes.

Gary Ashford, who represents the Chartered Institute of Taxation on HMRC's Compliance Forum said:

“The range of groups targeted in this latest announcement shows how widely HMRC are casting their net.

Last year's taskforces have already led to at least 13 criminal investigations. It is clear that HMRC are getting increasingly tough in their determination to reach their target of bringing in an extra £7 billion over the Parliament through initiatives to tackle tax avoidance, evasion and fraud.”

Ashford also reiterated the Institute's call for a general disclosure facility to encourage people to get their house in order, saying:

“As the House of Commons Treasury Committee has highlighted, there is a need for a clearly signposted, permanent route to enable anyone whose tax affairs have slipped but who has seen the light and wants to get themselves regularised again to do so. It would need to be clear what the penalties would be and the circumstances in which prosecution would be used. The aim has to be to encourage people to get back on track and not stay in the shadows.”

Since May 2011, HMRC has launched 30 taskforces. Taskforces are specialist teams that undertake intensive bursts of activity, visiting taxpayers in high risk trade sectors and locations across the UK.

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